Karnataka HC stays order against PVR over delay due to long ads before movie

The Karnataka High Court on Monday temporarily stayed a consumer court order that said PVR Cinemas was liable for making moviegoers watch long pre-movie advertisements, a Bar and Bench report said. The order will stay in effect till March 27.

The HC said that the consumer forum had overstepped its jurisdiction by treating the complaint as a larger public interest issue.   

The Bengaluru consumer forum had also directed PVR Cinemas to pay a fine of ₹1.28 lakh to the complainant. 

What the complaint was

Abishek MR had filed a complaint in the Bengaluru Urban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in January last year, regarding a screening of the film Sam Bahadur in December 2023. He had argued that the film was scheduled to begin at 4.05 pm but was screened 25 minutes later due to commercials. He said the delay subsequently made him late to work. 

Consumer forum's ruling 

“In the new era, time is considered as money, each one’s time is very precious, no one has right to gain benefit out of others time and money. 25-30 (minutes) is not less to sit idle in the theatre and watch whatever the theatre telecasts. It is very hard for busy people with tight schedule watching unnecessary advertisements…,” the consumer court had noted in February last year.

Petition against the ruling in Karnataka HC

The Multiplex Association of India had in response to the consumer forum's ruling had filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court. "When you go to a movie, for five minutes, public awareness programmes are mandated by the Ministry of I&B. It is a business model that you have some trailers and advertisements. Everyone has known for years that the movie starts in 15-20 minutes….finally the (consumer) court has mandated that you should print on the ticket that advertisements will start at 4 pm etc…With great respect, the council has no such power. They have taken it like a class action…”, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohtagi had argued before the court.