Man in India granted compensation due to extended advertisements before movie exhibition
In the bustling city of Bangalore, 31-year-old attorney Abhishek M R faced an unexpected challenge during a movie outing. After grabbing tickets for the 2023 screening of "Sam Bahadur," he discovered that the 2-hour-and-25-minute film was preceded by an overwhelming 30 minutes of trailers, advertisements, and fillers.
These unwanted additional minutes interrupted Abhishek's scheduled work call, causing a dip in his productivity and resulting in "mental agony." He decided to take legal action against PVR INOX, the widely recognized movie theater chain, claiming that they engaged in an "unfair trade practice."
According to court documents obtained by CNN, Abhishek paid for his tickets and anticipated the film to end at 6:30 p.m., but instead, finished around 7 p.m. In his defense, he enumerated two public service announcements and 17 commercials prior to the show's start.
He sought compensation of 50,000 rupees ($574) in damages, 5,000 rupees ($57) for his distress, and an additional 10,000 rupees ($115) to cover legal fees.
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission sided with Abhishek, ordering PVR INOX to pay him 20,000 rupees ($230) in damages and a further 8,000 rupees ($92) in legal expenses. The theater chain was also fined an extraordinary 100,000 rupees ($1,148) for the Consumer Welfare Fund, a government initiative designed to safeguard consumers.
In the court's ruling, the Commission emphasized the importance of time in the modern era, stating that "each one's time is very precious." The ruling further acknowledged that 25 to 30 minutes of advertising was an extended period, especially for those with time-sensitive schedules.
PVR INOX operates in over 900 screens across 173 cinemas in India and Sri Lanka. In its response to CNN's request for comment, the theater defended its policy by citing the requirement to display 10 minutes of public service announcements before a film. However, court documents reveal that most of the content before the movie primarily comprised advertising [1].
Abhishek's victory has garnered significant media attention, prompting hope that other businesses in India will adopt more stringent measures to value their customers' time. He explained that this legal move had a substantial impact on the awareness of time management among local enterprises.
[1] Enrichment Data: Recent court case in Bengaluru highlights the issue of excessive advertising and delayed movie screenings at PVR INOX, prompting the company to pay a fine of 1 lakh rupees to the Consumer Welfare Fund.
[2] The ruling by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission underscores the fact that legal action can be taken when businesses breach consumer rights by excessively delaying movie starts with ads.
[3] Regular consumer courts in India like the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission have jurisdiction over grievances related to service quality, including delays caused by excessive advertising.
[4] Economic hardships in various segments of the film industry, such as the Malayalam film sector, are unrelated to legal actions over advertisement practices.
Abhishek's legal battle against PVR INOX, involving disputes over excessive advertising and delayed movie screenings, has garnered attention in the business and media sectors. This case highlights the need for businesses to value their customers' time more thoroughly.
The ruling against PVR INOX, which ordered the theater chain to pay damages and legal expenses, has set a precedent that businesses can face consequences if they breach consumer rights by excessively delaying movie starts with advertisements.
Following Abhishek's victory, there has been speculation among some media outlets that other businesses in India may adopt more stringent measures to respect their customers' time sensitivities.
