The Bengaluru Urban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed PVR Cinemas at Orion Mall and PVR Inox Limited to pay Rs 1 lakh in punitive damages for displaying advertisements resulting in the film running beyond, The New Indian Express reported on Tuesday.

This constituted an unjust and unfair trade practice, the commission ruled in an order issued on Saturday.

The complainant, advocate Abhishek MR, told the court that he had booked three tickets for the film Sam Bahadur on December 26, 2023, for the 4.05 pm show, paying Rs 825.66 per ticket. The film was expected to end by 6.30 pm as per the schedule, which would have allowed him to return to work afterward.

However, advertisements and film trailers were shown from 4.05 pm to 4.28 pm even though the complainant and his family entered the cinema hall at 4 pm. The film, scheduled to start at 4.05 pm, was delayed by nearly 30 minutes and began at 4.30 pm, he added.

The complainant claimed that he missed his work commitment as a result of the delay.

On their part, PVR Cinemas and PVR Inox Limited denied the allegations and argued that they were legally required to screen public service announcements in the form of short films and documentaries to raise awareness on various issues, The New Indian Express reported.

However, the commission noted that the compact disc provided by the complainant, which contained a recording from that day, showed that only one was a public service announcement out of the 17 advertisements played. As per government guidelines, the duration of a public service announcement should be 10 minutes before the start of a film.

In its order, the commission noted that several viewers may have experienced the same problem as the complainant. It directed PVR Cinemas and PVR Inox Limited to stop violating an order issued by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on this matter.

The commission also observed that no one had the right to profit from others’ time and money, The New Indian Express reported. It said that viewers should not be forced to watch advertisements for more than 30 minutes as films were meant to provide relaxation and not frustration.

The commission also said that by recording the advertisements shown in the theatre, the complainant demonstrated a deficiency of service and an unfair trade practice, which were within the right of a consumer to challenge.

It rejected the argument by PVR Cinemas and PVR Inox Limited that the recording was illegal, noting that the complainant had only recorded the advertisements to support his case.

Apart from directing PVR Cinemas and PVR Inox Limited to deposit Rs 1 lakh with the Consumer Welfare Fund, the commission also ordered them to pay Rs 20,000 to the complainant for mental distress and inconvenience, along with Rs 8,000 to cover litigation costs.