A Bengaluru resident, frustrated by excessive advertisements before a movie screening, took PVR Inox to consumer court—and won. The court ruled in his favor, imposing a hefty fine on the multiplex chain for unfair trade practices.
The Incident: Delayed Movie Due to Ads
On December 26, 2023, Abhishek M.R. went to watch Sam Bahadur with his family at a PVR Inox theater in Bengaluru. The movie was scheduled to begin at 4:05, but instead of starting on time, the screen played trailers and advertisements until 4:30—a 25-minute delay.
Feeling that his time had been wasted, Abhishek filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Urban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission on January 6, 2024, seeking compensation. He argued that the delay disrupted his schedule, causing inconvenience.
Court Ruling and Fine Imposed on PVR Inox
On February 15, the consumer court ruled in Abhishek’s favor, ordering PVR Inox to pay ₹1.28 lakh. The court emphasized that:
- The ticketed time should indicate the actual start of the film, not prolonged advertisements.
- Viewers should not be forced to sit through excessive commercial content before a movie.
- Time is valuable, and unnecessary delays for profit are unfair to consumers.
PVR Inox defended itself, claiming that some of the ads were government-mandated announcements. However, the court dismissed this argument, stating that none of the advertisements met the legal criteria for mandatory public service messages.
Consumer Rights and Legal Implications
Abhishek provided video evidence of the advertisements, which PVR Inox attempted to challenge by citing anti-piracy laws. The court rejected this defense, affirming that consumer awareness is not unlawful.
As per the ruling, PVR Inox must pay the compensation within 30 days. Failure to do so will result in an annual interest penalty of 10%.