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PVR INOX Fined ₹75,000 for Delaying 'Kubera' Screening with Excessive Ads
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Storyboard•03-10-2026, 18:01
PVR INOX Fined ₹75,000 for Delaying 'Kubera' Screening with Excessive Ads
- •A Hyderabad consumer commission penalized PVR Cinemas and PVR INOX Ltd. ₹75,000 for delaying a movie screening with prolonged advertisements and promotional content.
- •Advocate Chanda Athish Kumar filed a complaint after the 10:35 PM screening of 'Kubera' was delayed by 22 minutes due to ads and public service films, affecting his return journey.
- •The commission ordered PVR INOX to pay Kumar ₹20,000 in compensation, ₹5,000 for litigation costs, and deposit ₹50,000 as punitive damages with the District Consumer Welfare Fund.
- •PVR INOX argued that screening ads and trailers is part of their business, citing a Supreme Court ruling, but the commission rejected this defense.
- •The commission ruled that the extended screening of commercial material beyond the permissible period constituted a deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice, directing PVR INOX to cease this practice.
Key Questions Answered
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission-II penalized PVR Cinemas and PVR INOX Ltd. for delaying the scheduled screening of the Telugu film 'Kubera' by approximately 22 minutes due to excessive commercial advertisements and promotional content.
The cinema operators were ordered to pay ₹20,000 as compensation to the complainant advocate, ₹5,000 for litigation expenses, and ₹50,000 as punitive damages to the District Consumer Welfare Fund, totaling ₹75,000 with a 45-day compliance window.
PVR INOX argued that running advertisements, trailers, and public service films is part of their regular business activity and cited a Supreme Court ruling to claim that cinema halls can impose reasonable conditions.
