Representational.
Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Urban District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission fined PVR Cinemas and PVR INOX Rs 1.28 lakh for delaying the screening for 25 minutes by showing advertisements. The commission ordered the PVR entities to mention the actual time of the start of movies and not that of commercial advertisements shown before the show, The Indian Express reported.
The consumer forum pronounced an order on a complaint by a moviegoer who booked three tickets for a particular movie in a theatre here run by PVR. The complainant alleged that due to the waste caused by the commercials, his other commitments, including going to work, were disrupted. When the movie ticket showed timing that the show would start at 4:05 pm, it started only at 4:28 pm.
The order by the Consumer Redressal Commission read, “In the new era, time is considered as money; each one’s time is very precious. No one has the right to gain benefit out of others’ time and money. 25-30 (minutes) is not less than sitting idle in the theatre and watching whatever the theatre telecasts. It is very hard for busy people with a tight schedule to watch unnecessary advertisements. However, they make their own arrangements to relax with the family. (This does) not mean that people have no other work to do.”
However, PVR claimed that they are obligated under the law to screen certain public service announcements in the form of short films and documentaries- intended to create awareness and educate the public about social problems, health and hygiene, and welfare schemes- provided by the state and central governments.
However, the cinema shower could not prove that the mentioned ads were screened when the complainant was at the cinema hall. Also, the complainant had filmed the commercials PVR showed that day instead of public service announcements, which are mandatory.
The consumer forum, which rejected PVR’s claim that audiences are not allowed to video record what is screened inside cinema halls, directed PVR and INOX to pay Rs 20,000 to the complainant for causing mental agony, Rs 8,000 for the expenses to file the complaint and Rs 1 lakh to the consumer welfare fund as punitive damages for engaging in unfair trade practices. The last payment must be made in 30 days.