'Time is Money, Stop Unfair Trade Practices': Court Fines PVR-Inox Rs 1.2 Lakh for stretching showtimes with long ads

One of India's leading cinema chains, PVR Cinemas, known for screening Hollywood, Bollywood, and regional films, has been controversial for showing excessive advertisements before movies begin.

Many moviegoers have expressed frustration over the prolonged ad slots extending beyond the scheduled showtime. Addressing this inconvenience faced by cinema lovers, a district consumer court in Bengaluru has criticized PVR-Inox for "wasting" viewers' time with long advertisements before film screenings.

Complaint filed against PVR-Inox

According to Bar and Bench, the complaint was filed by a viewer who, along with two family members, attended a 4:05 PM screening of Sam Bahadur in December 2023. However, the actual feature film started only at 4:30 PM, as numerous advertisements were played before it. This delay disrupted their schedule and caused inconvenience.

Following the complaint, the consumer court ordered PVR-Inox to compensate the complainant with Rs 20,000 for the mental distress and inconvenience caused. Additionally, the chain was directed to reimburse Rs 8,000 for the legal expenses incurred in filing the complaint. Moreover, PVR-Inox was fined Rs 1 lakh as punitive damages for engaging in unfair trade practices.

Court Ruling and Key Observations

The verdict was delivered by a panel comprising President M. Shobha and members K. Anita Shivakumar and Suma Anil Kumar. In its statement, the court emphasized:

"In the modern era, time is money, and every individual's time is valuable. No one has the right to profit at the expense of others' time and money. Sitting idle in a theatre for 25–30 minutes watching advertisements is unreasonable, especially for people with busy schedules. While individuals make time to relax with their families, it does not mean they have no other commitments."

The court also directed PVR-Inox to implement the following measures stating, that the actual movie start time must be mentioned on cinema tickets. Advertisements should not exceed the scheduled showtime mentioned on the ticket, the cinema chain must cease engaging in unfair trade practices.

PVR's Defense and Court's Response

In response, PVR argued that government-mandated public service announcements (PSAs) are required to be played before films. However, the consumer court pointed out that even government guidelines specify that these announcements should not exceed 10 minutes.

The complainant had recorded the advertisements as evidence, to which PVR countered by accusing them of violating anti-piracy laws. The court dismissed this claim, clarifying that the complainant recorded only the commercials, not the film itself. It ruled that this was done in the public interest, as many other moviegoers face the same issue.