Man wins lawsuit against movie theater for excessive commercials

A man in India has been awarded $322 in compensation after suing a movie theater chain for showing too many commercials before a film.

31-year-old Abhishek M R, from Bangalore, attended a screening of “Sam Bahadur” at the PVR multiplex in Bangalore on December 26, 2023.

He filed a complaint with the Bangalore District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, alleging that the film was delayed by 30 minutes due to excessive commercials, which caused him to miss a scheduled work call.

He said the film had been scheduled to end at 6:30 p.m., but didn’t end until just before 7 p.m.

His suit sought $547 in damages for what he called an “unfair trade practice,” as well as $57 for “mental agony” and $115 for legal costs.

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The court ruled in Abhishek’s favor, stating that “time is considered as money” and that 25-30 minutes is a “considerable amount of time to sit idle in the theater and watch unnecessary ads.”

The ruling awarded Abhishek $230 in damages and $92 for legal costs, totaling $322.

The court’s decision highlights the importance of respecting consumers’ time and the need for businesses to balance advertising with customer experience.