Watching a movie in theaters should be a seamless experience. However excessive advertisements before the start of a film often frustrate audiences. A young man from Bengaluru took legal action against multiplex giants PVR and INOX for delaying the movie’s start due to prolonged advertisements. The court ruled in his favour awarding him compensation and penalising the theater chains.

The Incident: A Movie Experience Gone Wrong

This case dates back to 2023 when Mr.Abhishek a 30 year old moviegoer from Bengaluru booked three tickets through BookMyShow to watch ‘Sam Bahadur’ at a PVR-INOX multiplex. The movie was scheduled to start at 4:05 PM and end by 6:30 PM. However instead of the movie starting on time a long string of advertisements and trailers pushed the actual start time to 4:30 PM. This unexpected delay disrupted Abhishek’s schedule leading him to miss important commitments. Frustrated he decided to take legal action.

Legal Battle: The Case Against PVR & INOX

Abhishek filed a case against PVR, INOX and online ticketing platform BookMyShow arguing that the 25 minute ad duration wasted his valuable time and caused him mental distress. He claimed that theaters misleadingly advertise showtimes without informing customers about excessive commercials. The legal complaint also accused the cinema chains of deceptive business practices forcing audiences to watch advertisements against their will.

Court Ruling: A Victory for Consumers

The consumer court took the matter seriously acknowledging that a customer's time is valuable. The ruling ordered PVR and INOX to pay Rs. 50,000 each as a penalty for unfair trade practices. Additionally Abhishek was awarded Rs. 65,000 as compensation for mental distress and other inconveniences. The court further imposed a total fine of Rs.1 lakh on the multiplex chains emphasising that no business has the right to profit by unnecessarily wasting customers’ time.

The court stated, “Forcing customers to watch 25-30 minutes of advertisements before a movie is unfair and unacceptable.” While the theater chains argued that they are legally required to play certain public awareness messages, the court ruled that only 10 minutes should be allotted for such content.

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Implications: Setting a Precedent for Moviegoers

This case has set a significant precedent for moviegoers across India. The ruling reinforces the idea that customers should not be forced to sit through excessive advertisements and businesses must respect their time. The decision also highlights the growing importance of consumer rights and legal recourse in the entertainment industry.

PVR and INOX have been given 30 days to comply with the court’s order and submit the penalty amount. This ruling is expected to encourage other consumers to speak up against unfair trade practices in various sectors.

While watching movies in theaters is a beloved pastime unnecessary disruptions like excessive advertisements can ruin the experience. This landmark ruling serves as a wake-up call for cinema chains to prioritise customer satisfaction over revenue generation through advertisements. Movie lovers can now hope for a more streamlined and fair viewing experience in the future.