PVR charged for ‘mental distress’ for running ads beyond showtime, asked to pay Rs 1 lakh fine and Rs 20,000 to complainant

While we have seen several memes on the internet on the experience of watching movies at PVR (indicating at the number of ads shown), someone has now filed a complaint against the multiplex chain. It came under scrutiny as now the Bengaluru Urban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the multiplex chain. This penalty comes from showing advertisements beyond the designated showtime at Orion Mall. Thus, this was called an unfair trade practice by the Commission.
According to a report published by New Indian Express, the order passed on February 15 by the commission, headed by President M Shobha along with the members K Anita Shivakumar and Suma Anil Kumar. They ruled in the favour of complaint lodged by advocate Abhishek MR.
PVR was also asked to compensate the complainant with Rs 20,000 for mental distress and inconvenience, along with Rs 8000 to cover litigation fees. The report further added, that the complaint was filed in December 2023 when the Vicky Kaushal starrer ‘Sam Bahadur‘ was played at the theatre. The movie was supposed to begin by 4pm and end by 6 30 pm. However, due to the continuous ads, the film did not begin before 4:28pm. The complainant claimed that the delay of 30 mins caused him to miss work. The order regarding this was passed on February 15.
The commission acknowledged that numerous viewers may have experienced similar issues and directed PVR Cinemas and PVR Inox Ltd. to adhere to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s guidelines on the matter. The commission further pointed that it’s unfair to waste people’s time and money like this with the ads as movie watching is a relaxing experience and not mental distress.
PVR Cinemas and PVR Inox Ltd. denied the allegations, arguing that they are legally required to screen public service announcements (PSAs). However, the commission found that out of 17 ads played, only one was a PSA, whereas guidelines permit a maximum of 10 minutes for such content.