Bengaluru/Mysuru: A Bengaluru Consumer Court has ruled that PVR Cinemas and INOX (now merged with PVR) must ensure movie tickets display the actual start time of films, excluding commercial advertisements.

The Court also directed PVR Cinemas to pay Rs. 20,000 to the complainant for mental distress and inconvenience, reimburse Rs. 8,000 for legal expenses and pay Rs. 1 lakh as punitive damages.

The ruling came in response to a complaint filed by Mysuru-based advocate M.R. Abhishek, who sued PVR Cinemas, INOX and BookMyShow.

Abhishek claimed that 25 minutes of his time was wasted watching advertisements before screening of ‘Sam Bahadur’ in 2023. He argued that the delay disrupted his schedule, making it difficult to return to work as planned.

According to the complaint, tickets were booked for the movie on Dec. 26, 2023, for a 4.05 pm show at a PVR INOX multiplex in Bengaluru’s Orion Mall. However, the film only began at 4.30 pm after nearly 25 minutes of ads and trailers.

Time is money

The Consumer Forum, led by President M. Shobha and members K. Anita Shivakumar and Suma Anil Kumar, found that 95 percent of the advertisements shown before the film were commercial promotions, not Government-mandated public service announcements, which should not exceed 10 minutes.

The Court ruled that BookMyShow was not responsible for show timings but held PVR and INOX accountable for forcing audiences to endure excessive ads.

“In today’s world, time is money. Every individual’s time is precious and no one has the right to profit from it unfairly. Sitting idle for 25-30 minutes watching unnecessary advertisements is a burden, especially for busy professionals,” the Court observed.

PVR and INOX defended their practice, arguing that extended ads help accommodate late arrivals delayed by security checks.

However, the Court ruled that this was unfair to punctual movie-goers and penalised the multiplex chains accordingly.

Exercise our rights

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, advocate Abhishek stated that instances of consumers being taken for a ride are a daily occurrence.

“Usually, we do not take action or exercise the powers granted to us by the Constitution and most companies exploit this passive attitude. Instead, we must protest and develop an activist mindset to set things right. Only then can we transform society,” he added.