Bengaluru Man Wins Case Against PVR, INOX Over Excessive Movie Ads

In a major victory for moviegoers, a Bengaluru consumer has successfully taken on cinema giants PVR Cinemas and INOX over their practice of airing excessive advertisements before films. Abhishek MR, the complainant, challenged the unfair trade practice of misleading movie start times, and the Bengaluru consumer court has ruled in his favor, ordering the multiplex chains to display the actual movie start time on tickets.

The Complaint That Sparked the Case

Abhishek MR filed a case against PVR Cinemas, INOX, and ticketing platform BookMyShow after experiencing a 25-minute delay due to lengthy advertisements before a screening of Sam Bahadur in 2023. His complaint argued that the delay disrupted his schedule, making it difficult for him to return to work as planned.

"I paid for a movie ticket, not for 25 minutes of forced advertisements," Abhishek said. "It was frustrating to sit through endless commercials when I had planned my schedule around the film's timing."

While the court ruled that BookMyShow was not responsible for ad durations, it found PVR and INOX guilty of unfair trade practices, acknowledging that excessive ads force audiences to waste their time.

Consumer Court's Ruling and Compensation

The consumer court, led by president M Shobha and members K Anita Shivakumar and Suma Anil Kumar, delivered a strong verdict against the multiplex chains, stating that:

PVR and INOX must display the actual start time of movies on tickets.

They must stop airing advertisements beyond the scheduled showtime.
Abhishek MR will receive ₹20,000 as compensation for mental distress and inconvenience.
He will also be reimbursed ₹8,000 in legal expenses.
Additionally, PVR and INOX must pay ₹1 lakh in punitive damages to the consumer welfare fund within 30 days.
The ruling reinforced that audiences should not be forced to endure excessive ads under the guise of movie screenings.

Multiplex Chains' Defense Rejected

PVR and INOX argued that screening public service announcements (PSAs) before movies is a government mandate. However, the court clarified that PSAs should not exceed 10 minutes and must be shown before the official movie start time.

Additionally, the cinema chains claimed that ad breaks help latecomers settle in. The court dismissed this argument, stating that punctual viewers should not have to suffer due to others’ delays.

A Win for Moviegoers

The ruling has set a precedent for greater transparency in Indian cinemas. Abhishek hopes his case will lead to a better experience for all moviegoers.

"This is not just about me. It's about every person who buys a ticket expecting a movie to start at a certain time but ends up being forced to watch commercials instead," he said. "I hope this decision forces cinemas to respect their audiences’ time."

With this victory, movie lovers across India may soon see a change in how cinemas handle pre-movie advertisements.