A Hyderabad movie theatre has been ordered to pay Rs 75,000 after a customer complained that commercial advertisements and trailers delayed the start of his film by around 22 minutes.
The Hyderabad District Consumer Commission found that the theatre’s conduct amounted to deficiency in service and an unfair trade practice.
Movie Was Scheduled For 10:35 PM
The 33-year-old customer had booked two tickets to watch Dhanush and Nagarjuna-starrer Kubera on June 20, 2025.
The show was scheduled to begin at 10:35 pm. He and his friend entered the theatre around 10:30 pm and took their seats.
However, instead of the movie beginning shortly after the scheduled time, the theatre continued playing commercial advertisements and promotional trailers.
The main film eventually started at around 10:52 pm, resulting in a delay of approximately 22 minutes.
Customer Reached Home An Hour Late
The moviegoer argued that the delay affected his schedule and personal commitments.
He said he eventually reached home at around 3 am, nearly an hour later than he had expected.
He approached the consumer commission, arguing that the extended commercial advertisements amounted to a deficiency in service.
Theatre Defended Its Advertisements
The theatre company argued that showing advertisements, commercials, movie trailers and public service awareness films was part of its normal business activity.
It also defended the screening of public service announcements, saying these were intended to spread awareness about issues such as education, agriculture, welfare schemes and cleanliness.
The theatre argued that showing such content before the movie was appropriate because audiences were already seated inside the auditorium.
Commission Separates Commercial Ads From Public Service Films
The consumer commission examined the rules governing advertisements and public service awareness films.
It noted that government guidelines restrict the duration of approved public service awareness films to up to two minutes.
The commission, however, specifically found the theatre responsible for the delay caused by commercial advertisements and promotional content.
It held that the theatre had continued showing commercial advertisements for financial benefit, resulting in an unfair and restrictive trade practice.
Rs 20,000 Compensation And Rs 50,000 Penalty
The commission ordered the theatre company to pay Rs 20,000 as compensation to the consumer and another Rs 5,000 towards litigation costs.
It also directed the company to deposit Rs 50,000 with the District Consumer Welfare Fund as punitive damages.
This brought the total financial liability to Rs 75,000.
The punitive amount was intended to discourage the theatre from repeating the practice.
Another Warning For Cinema Chains
The ruling highlights the growing scrutiny of advertisements shown before movies.
The decision does not mean that cinemas cannot show advertisements or trailers before films. However, excessive commercial content that significantly delays the advertised showtime can potentially lead to consumer complaints and legal action.
For moviegoers, the case also provides another example of consumers challenging lengthy pre-show advertising through consumer forums.
Theatre Told Not To Repeat The Practice
The Hyderabad commission directed the theatre to discontinue the unfair or restrictive practice and ensure that such delays are not repeated.
The case could add to the debate over how much advertising cinemas should be allowed to show after customers have already paid for a ticket for a specified showtime.
Summary
A Hyderabad consumer commission has ordered a movie theatre to pay Rs 75,000 after commercial advertisements and trailers delayed a Kubera screening by around 22 minutes. The customer received Rs 20,000 as compensation and Rs 5,000 for litigation costs, while Rs 50,000 was ordered as punitive damages to the District Consumer Welfare Fund.
