Bengaluru Court Orders PVR & INOX to Show Actual Movie Start Time on Tickets

A consumer court in Bengaluru has ruled that PVR Cinemas and INOX must print the actual start time of movies on tickets, instead of the time when advertisements begin.

Why Was the Case Filed?

A moviegoer, Abhishek MR, complained that he lost 25 minutes of his time watching long advertisements before the movie “Sam Bahadur” in 2023.

• He booked a 4:05 PM show at PVR Cinemas and arrived at 4:00 PM.
• However, instead of the movie, advertisements and trailers ran from 4:05 PM to 4:28 PM.
• The actual movie started only at 4:30 PM.
• This delay affected his schedule, as he had planned to return to work after the film.

Consumer Court’s Decision

The district consumer forum found that BookMyShow (the ticket booking platform) was not responsible, as it does not control movie schedules or advertisements.

However, it ruled that PVR and INOX must stop forcing customers to watch long ads during the time they paid for the movie.

The court stated:
“Time is money. No one has the right to waste others’ time. People with busy schedules plan their time carefully, and it is unfair to make them sit through unnecessary ads.”

Key Orders for PVR & INOX:

1. Tickets must show the exact movie start time – not when ads begin.
2. No more unfair trade practices – they cannot run long ads beyond the scheduled showtime.
3. Compensation to the complainant:
   • ₹20,000 for mental distress.
   • ₹8,000 for legal expenses.
4. Penalty for unfair practices:
   • ₹1 lakh must be paid to the consumer welfare fund within 30 days.

PVR & INOX’s Justification

PVR and INOX defended themselves, stating that theaters are required by law to show public service announcements (PSAs) on social issues, as directed by the Central and State governments.

The court agreed that showing PSAs is fine, but as per government rules, they cannot exceed 10 minutes.

The forum clarified:

• Most ads shown (95%) were commercial, not public service messages.
• PSAs should be shown before the movie start time, not during it.

Other Arguments Rejected by the Court

• PVR Cinemas accused the complainant of recording the ads illegally.
  • The court dismissed this, saying he only recorded commercial ads (not the movie) to prove his complaint.
• PVR & INOX argued that ads help latecomers who need time for security checks.
  • The court ruled it is unfair to punish punctual moviegoers just to accommodate late arrivals.

Final Verdict

The court’s decision ensures that moviegoers won’t be forced to watch long ads before a film. Now, theaters must clearly mention when the actual movie starts, so people know what they are paying for.