Bengaluru: Consumer Court Fines Theater ₹65,000 for Wasting Audience’s Time with Ads

Consumer Court Orders Theater to Pay Compensation for Wasting Lawyer’s Time

In a landmark decision, a consumer court has ruled in favor of a Bengaluru-based lawyer who sued a theater for wasting his time with excessive advertisements before a movie screening. The court ordered the theater management to compensate him with ₹65,000, setting a significant precedent for consumer rights.

The Case:
In 2023, Abhishek, a lawyer from Bengaluru, booked movie tickets through the BookMyShow platform and visited a PVR INOX theater for leisure. However, before the film commenced, he was subjected to 25 minutes of advertisements, which left him frustrated. Feeling that his time had been unfairly wasted, he decided to take legal action against the theater.

Court’s Verdict:
The consumer court emphasized that time is money, and since the lawyer’s valuable time was lost due to prolonged advertisements, he deserved compensation. The court ruled in his favor and ordered the theater to pay ₹65,000 as compensation.

Theater’s Defense:
The theater management defended its practice, arguing that playing advertisements was a contractual obligation. However, the court dismissed this argument, upholding the lawyer’s complaint and reinforcing the rights of consumers in entertainment services.

This ruling has sparked discussions on consumer rights and the responsibility of entertainment service providers to ensure fair treatment for their patrons. With this decision, businesses may now have to reconsider how they structure pre-show advertisements to avoid potential legal repercussions.