Consumer Disputes
Consumer body tells PVR INOX not to exhibit advertisements beyond scheduled show time
This story was originally published at 19:05 IST on 18 February 2025
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NEW DELHI – The Bengaluru Urban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed PVR INOX Ltd. not to show advertisements beyond the scheduled show time mentioned on an admission ticket. In an order that spells relief for movie-goers, the commission also directed exhibitors to ensure that the actual show time is printed on cinema tickets, not just the time when screening of advertisements begins, and ordered PVR INOX not to repeat the unfair trade practice mentioned under section 39(1)(g) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
"In the new era, time is considered money, each one's time is very precious, no one has a right to gain benefit out of others' time and money," the commission said. It is hard on people with busy schedules to sit tight watching a series of commercial advertisements, it said, adding that 25-30 minutes is not a short duration to be sitting idle in a theatre, forced to watching whatever the management wants to project, it said.
The commission asked PVR INOX to pay INR 20,000 to the complainant for causing mental agony and inconvenience through an unfair trade practice, and INR 8,000 towards litigation cost. It also directed PVR INOX to pay INR 100,000 towards punitive damages under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, to be deposited in the Consumer Welfare Fund established by the central government.
The commission was hearing a complaint filed by a movie-goer who sought direction to PVR INOX and other exhibitors to cease and desist from playing advertisements beyond the show time as mentioned on the tickets. The complainant had also sought damages of INR 50,000 for the unfair trade practice of the theatre management resulting in the complainant's time being wasted.
The complainant had booked three tickets to watch the movie 'Sam Bahadur' on Dec. 26, 2023. The show was supposed to start at 1605 IST and end at 1830 IST, as the duration of the movie is 2 hours 25 minutes. After the movie, the complainant planned to return to his work. However, the movie hall began to show advertisements of companies and trailers of movies between 1605 IST and 1628 IST. The actual movie only began at 1630 IST. Due to the delay, the complainant could not attend to his work as he had planned.
PVR INOX argued that exhibitors are obligated by law to screen certain public-service announcements in the form of short films and documentaries provided by the central and state governments. The commission, however, noted that the hall played several commercial advertisements as well.
The commission said a movie must start at the scheduled time mentioned on the ticket. Theatre managements can show public-service and commercial advertisements before the scheduled time as per their discretion, but following the guidelines at the cost of viewers is unjust and unfair, it said. "Taking beyond the scheduled time for the purpose of telecasting advertisements, that too commercial advertisements, is unjust and unfair," the commission said.
On Tuesday, shares of PVR INOX Ltd ended 1.8% lower at INR 988.25 on the National Stock Exchange. End
Reported by Surya Tripathi
Edited by Rajeev Pai
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