Man in India wins lawsuit against theater over excessive pre-movie ads

A consumer court in Bangalore, India, has ruled in favor of a lawyer who sued India’s largest movie theater chain for excessive advertising before a film screening, awarding him damages for the inconvenience caused.

Abhishek M R, a 31-year-old lawyer, filed the complaint after missing a scheduled work call because the movie ran beyond its listed end time. He claimed that 25 minutes of advertisements and public service announcements before the screening of Sam Bahadur in December 2023 caused “mental agony” and wasted his time.

The Bangalore District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission determined that the extended ad duration amounted to an “unfair trade practice.” The court ordered the movie theater to pay Abhishek 20,000 rupees (USD 230) in damages, 8,000 rupees (USD 92) in legal costs, and an additional 100,000 rupees (USD 1,148) to India’s Consumer Welfare Fund.

In its ruling, the commission emphasized that “time is valuable” and that prolonged pre-movie advertisements could be a burden for individuals with tight schedules. 

The movie theater defended the practice, citing legal requirements to air public service announcements, but the court found this defense insufficient.

While acknowledging legal requirements, the court ruled that the theater chain should have ensured the advertisements did not unfairly disrupt moviegoers’ time.

The ruling has been seen as a victory for consumers, especially those frustrated by the increasing length of pre-show advertisements in cinemas.