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Court in India orders movie theater chain to pay for ‘mental agony’ of too many ads

One moviegoer said that being forced to watch so many ads made him miss appointments, resulting in losses “which cannot be calculated in terms of money.”

In December 2023, Abhishekh M.R., who lives in the city of Bengaluru, paid $10 (826 rupees) for three tickets to see the war drama “Sam Bahadur” at a PVR movie theater, records of the Bangalore Urban Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission showed. Money Sharma / AFP via Getty Images fileThe movie, which was scheduled to begin at 4:05 p.m and end at 6:30 p.m., was delayed for nearly half an hour because the theater played what Abhishekh called “trailers, advertisements and other fillers,” according to his court ruling. This month, the court said the theater management’s “violation of the guidelines on the cost of viewers is unjust and unfair,” ordering the chain to pay the plaintiff $320 in damages and $1,150 in regulatory fines.

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