In a landmark ruling for consumer rights, a Bengaluru consumer court has fined PVR INOX ₹1.2 lakh for delaying a movie screening by 25 minutes due to excessive advertisements. This decision sets a strong precedent against the exploitation of viewers’ time in cinemas.
Consumer Complaint Leads to Landmark Fine
A moviegoer had booked a 4:05 PM show for the film Sam Bahadur. However, the actual screening did not commence until 4:30 PM due to an extended ad segment. As per regulations, theatres can screen only 10 minutes of public service announcements (PSAs) before a film, but PVR INOX ran 25 minutes of ads, with only two out of 17 being PSAs.
Court Imposes ₹1.28 Lakh Penalty on PVR INOX
The court ruled in favor of the complainant, imposing a total penalty of ₹1.28 lakh, broken down as follows:
- ₹1 lakh as punitive damages for violating consumer rights
- ₹20,000 for mental agony caused to the viewer
- ₹8,000 for litigation expenses
New Directives for Theatres
The court’s decision came with key directives aimed at protecting moviegoers:
- Theatres must disclose the actual movie start time on tickets.
- Theatres cannot exceed ad limits before screenings.
- Ticketing platforms like BookMyShow are not liable for delays caused by cinemas.
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