Indian Man Wins Case Against Theater Chain Over Excessive Ads Before Movie

TDT | Manama

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In a landmark consumer rights victory, an Indian lawyer has won a case against the country’s largest movie theater chain, PVR INOX, for excessive pre-movie advertisements that disrupted his schedule and caused mental distress.

Abhishek M R, a 31-year-old lawyer from Bangalore, took legal action after experiencing significant delays due to lengthy commercials before a screening of the 2023 war drama Sam Bahadur. The movie, scheduled to start at 4:05 p.m. and end at 6:30 p.m., was delayed by nearly 30 minutes due to trailers, advertisements, and public service announcements, causing him to miss a crucial work call.

The case was presented before the Bangalore District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, where Abhishek argued that the delay amounted to an “unfair trade practice” and led to mental agony. He sought compensation of 50,000 rupees ($574) in damages, 5,000 rupees ($57) for distress, and 10,000 rupees ($115) for legal costs.

The commission ruled in Abhishek’s favor, ordering PVR INOX to pay 20,000 rupees ($230) in damages, 8,000 rupees ($92) in costs, and an additional 100,000 rupees ($1,148) to the Consumer Welfare Fund, which protects consumer rights. The court emphasized that “time is considered money” and that excessive advertisements were unfair to customers with tight schedules.

While PVR INOX defended itself by citing a legal obligation to show 10 minutes of public service announcements, the commission found that most of the pre-movie content consisted of commercial advertisements. The ruling is expected to influence other Indian businesses to prioritize customer time and reconsider their advertising practices in theaters.

Following the ruling, Abhishek expressed satisfaction, stating that his efforts were “definitely worth it” and hoped the decision would set a precedent for better consumer experiences across India’s entertainment industry.

PVR INOX, which operates over 900 screens in India and Sri Lanka, has yet to issue an official response to the ruling.