PVR-Inox Fined ₹1.2 Lakh for Long Ads Before Movie, Court Calls It Unfair Trade Practice

A consumer court fined PVR-Inox ₹1.2 lakh for excessive pre-movie ads, calling it unfair

A consumer court in Bengaluru has penalized PVR-Inox for showing excessive advertisements before a movie, calling it a waste of viewers’ time. The theatre chain was fined ₹1.2 lakh following a complaint from a moviegoer who had to wait through over 30 minutes of commercials and trailers before the film started.

The Complaint

Abhishek MR made the complaint after attending the December 26, 2023, screening of Sam Bahadur, starring Vicky Kaushal, at PVR Cinemas. The concert was supposed to start at 4:05 p.m., but instead, the venue played advertising and trailers until 4:28. The movie finally started at 4:30 PM, which caused a substantial wait.

Abhishek argued that this unnecessary delay disturbed his schedule for the rest of the day. He also called it an unfair trade practice, as viewers pay for a movie but are forced to watch lengthy advertisements instead.

Court’s Verdict

The case was heard by President M Shobha, along with members K Anita Shivakumar and Suma Anil Kumar. The court ruled that time is valuable and that no business should benefit from wasting people’s time unfairly.

The court said, “In today’s world, time is money. Everyone’s time is precious, and no one has the right to misuse it for personal gain. Sitting idle for 25-30 minutes in a theatre watching unnecessary advertisements is unfair, especially for busy people with tight schedules.”

Orders Against PVR-Inox

The consumer court directed PVR and Inox to follow these rules:

Mention actual movie start time on tickets – Viewers must know exactly when the movie begins.

Stop engaging in unfair trade practices – Theatres must not show advertisements beyond the scheduled time.

Read more: Parineeti Chopra’s Dramatic Weight Gain For Film Amar Singh

Compensation and Fine

The court ordered PVR-Inox to pay:

₹20,000 to the complainant for mental distress and inconvenience.

₹8,000 towards legal expenses.

₹1 lakh as punitive damages for misleading consumers.

The amount must be paid within 30 days to the consumer welfare fund.

This ruling has been widely appreciated, as many moviegoers have long complained about excessive ads in theatres. With this decision, viewers may now get a better cinema experience without unnecessary delays.

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