A man’s 25 minutes were wasted by showing advertisements before the movie, PVR incurred a loss of lakhs
In Bengaluru, PVR had to pay a heavy price for showing an ad to a person before the film. Instead of starting the film, trailers and advertisements kept running continuously in the theater. Angered by this, the person filed a complaint against PVR. Due to this complaint, PVR had to pay a fine of lakhs.
Actually this whole matter is of the year 2023. Where Abhishek MR and his family reached the cinema hall in Bengaluru to watch Sam Bahadur. In such a situation, the film did not start at the scheduled time in PVR. Instead, trailers and advertisements kept running continuously. Angry with the wastage of time, Abhishek filed a complaint in the consumer forum. In such a situation, on 15 February 2024, the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission imposed a fine of Rs 1.28 lakh on PVR INOX. According to the court, the scheduled time of the film in the theater is the actual time to start the movie and not the advertisements.
The court rejected PVR’s arguments
In its argument, PVR said that advertisements are a means of preparing the audience for the film. However, the court rejected it. The theatre also said that some announcements were mandatory under government instructions. But this could not be proved. The court accepted that the advertisements shown were completely commercial and were a waste of the audience’s time.
Damages will be given as compensation
According to the commission’s decision, PVR will have to pay Abhishek Rs 20,000 for mental harassment, Rs 8,000 for legal expenses and Rs 1 lakh for unfair business practices. This will be deposited in the Consumer Welfare Fund. The amount has to be paid within 30 days or else 10% annual interest will be charged on it.
