India, Feb. 19 -- A Bengaluru district consumer court has held PVR-INOX guilty of unfair trade practices for delaying movie screenings by running excessive advertisements, wasting audiences' time. The multiplex chain has been directed to pay Rs.1 lakh in punitive damages and ensure that actual movie start times are transparently communicated to viewers.

The case was filed by a Bengaluru resident who attended a 4:05 PM screening of "Sam Bahadur" in December 2023 with two family members. However, the feature film began at 4:30 PM, after an extended run of advertisements, disrupting their schedule. The court awarded the complainant Rs.20,000 for mental distress and Rs.8,000 for litigation costs.

Slamming the multiplex's conduct, the court ...