A consumer court recently ordered PVR Cinemas to pay Rs. 75,000 in compensation after a film started 17 minutes late due to advertisements. The court observed that the delay wasted the viewer’s time and caused inconvenience in reaching home. Therefore, compensation along with legal costs was awarded.
According to reports, a resident of Ahmedabad had booked two tickets for a 10.35 p.m. show. Expecting the film to begin on time, he arrived at the cinema before the scheduled start. However, the screen continued showing advertisements and trailers, and the film finally began 17 minutes late. Because of this delay, nearly an extra hour of his time was wasted, and instead of reaching home around 2 a.m., he reportedly reached home at about 3 a.m.
The complainant argued that the issue was not merely a minor inconvenience. Due to the delay, his other plans for the night were also disrupted, and he had to travel home much later than expected. He further alleged that PVR was using the additional time before the film to screen commercial advertisements instead of providing information about public-interest messages and notices. According to him, showing excessive advertisements before the film violated the guidelines issued by the ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
The matter was subsequently taken before the Ahmedabad District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. Along with compensation for the inconvenience and harassment caused, the complainant also sought legal action against the multiplex.