A Hyderabad consumer commission has ordered a theatre company to pay a total of Rs 75,000 after a moviegoer complained that a film began 22 minutes late because of advertisements and trailers, delaying his return home by nearly an hour.
The complaint was filed by a Hyderabad advocate who had booked two tickets for a 10.35pm screening of Kubera, starring Dhanush and Nagarjuna, on June 20, 2025. According to the complaint, he and a friend reached the theatre and took their seats at around 10.30pm, but the feature film did not begin until approximately 10.52pm.
The complainant said the delayed start affected his journey home. He reportedly reached home at about 3am instead of the expected 2am, disrupting his personal commitments and rest. He argued before the consumer commission that the extended screening of commercial advertisements amounted to a deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice.
The advocate also relied on Ministry of Information and Broadcasting guidelines concerning public service awareness films. According to the complaint, the guidelines limit such films to a maximum of two minutes. He sought compensation for the inconvenience and harassment, along with litigation costs.
The theatre company, identified in the proceedings as PVR, defended the practice of screening advertisements, commercials, trailers and public service awareness films before a movie. It argued that such screenings were part of its right to conduct business. The company also said that the public service content promoted issues including education, agriculture, women’s welfare and cleanliness campaigns, and that theatres provided access to audiences who were already seated.
The Hyderabad District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission did not accept the defence. It held that the theatre had violated the applicable guidelines by allowing commercial advertisements to run beyond the permitted framework and found that the practice amounted to an unfair or restrictive trade practice.
Under the order, the theatre company was directed to pay Rs 20,000 to the moviegoer as compensation and Rs 5,000 towards litigation costs. It was also ordered to deposit Rs 50,000 with the District Consumer Welfare Fund as punitive damages. The commission further directed the company to stop the practice and ensure that it was not repeated.
The order means that the complainant will receive Rs 25,000, while the remaining Rs 50,000 will go to the consumer welfare fund. The case places the timing of commercial content before paid entertainment at the centre of a consumer-service dispute and requires the theatre company to discontinue the practice identified by the commission.
