Bengaluru Man Sues PVR-INOX: Wins Compensation for Wasted Time

Bengaluru Man Sues PVR-INOX: A Bengaluru resident has successfully won a case against PVR Cinemas and INOX, claiming Rs 65,000 in compensatory damages after a 25-minute delay due to advertisements. The complainant, Abhishek MR, argued that the lengthy commercials before a scheduled 4:05 PM screening of the movie ‘Sam Bahadur’ disrupted his plans and caused “mental agony.”

Court Ruling Highlights

Time Wasted: Abhishek contended that the film started at 4:30 PM, making him miss other important appointments. He cited this as an unfair trade practice.
Compensation Awarded: The court directed PVR-INOX to pay Rs 50,000 for unfair trade practices, Rs 5,000 for mental agony, and Rs 10,000 for filing the complaint.
Additional Penalty: An additional Rs 1 lakh fine was imposed on PVR-INOX, to be deposited in the consumer welfare fund.
BookMyShow Exempted: The court ruled that BookMyShow had no role in the delay and was not liable.

Consumer Court’s Remarks

The court emphasized that “time is money” and stated that businesses have no right to profit from “others’ time and money.” While Public Service Announcements (PSAs) are mandatory, the court said they should be limited to 10 minutes before the movie and during intervals.

Impact of the Ruling

This decision serves as a reminder for cinema chains to adhere to reasonable ad durations, ensuring that audiences’ time and schedules are respected.