Karnataka HC Halts Order Against PVR Cinemas Over Excessive Ads

The Karnataka High Court has stayed an order requiring PVR Cinemas to compensate a Bengaluru man for delaying a movie screening with excessive advertisements. The man, Abhishek MR, had filed a lawsuit against PVR and INOX (which has since merged with PVR) for the delayed screening of the film Sam Bahadur on December 26, 2023.

The case began when a moviegoer, Abhishek MR, sued PVR Cinemas, BookMyShow, and INOX (now merged with PVR) over a delay in the screening of Sam Bahadur in 2023.He claimed that 25 minutes of his time were wasted due to lengthy commercial advertisements, making it difficult for him to return to work on schedule.

Previously, the Bengaluru Consumer Forum ruled that PVR and INOX must ensure that movie tickets include the actual start time of the film, excluding ad breaks.The court, however, absolved BookMyShow of any responsibility, claiming that the platform has no control over movie schedules.

PVR Cinemas and INOX were ordered to compensate Abhishek MR with ₹20,000 for mental distress and inconvenience, and ₹8,000 to cover the costs of filing the complaint.

The Bengaluru District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission had previously ordered PVR INOX to display the actual movie time on tickets, rather than the time when advertisements begin playing. The commission stated that PVR and INOX cannot engage in unfair practices and waste moviegoers' time with lengthy commercial advertisements during the time slot reserved for the film itself.

However, the Karnataka High Court has stayed the order, effectively putting it on hold until further notice. This development could have an impact on moviegoers and cinema chains in the region.