A theatre that played 22 minutes of advertisements before starting a movie has been ordered to pay Rs 75,000 as compensation, in a ruling that will cheer every moviegoer who has sat through endless pre-show ads.

The order holds the theatre accountable for wasting viewers’ time and violating their rights as consumers.

The case

The complaint centred on a simple grievance: the theatre ran advertisements for 22 minutes before the film began, delaying the show well beyond its scheduled start time. For the complainant, this was not a minor inconvenience but a deficiency in service.

The forum agreed, holding that excessive advertising before a film amounts to an unfair trade practice that infringes on consumers’ time and their right to the service they paid for.

Why the ruling matters

Long ad breaks before movies have become a common frustration. Theatres earn significant revenue from advertising, but viewers pay for the film — not for a 22-minute commercial break.

The Rs 75,000 compensation sends a clear message to exhibitors: advertising has its limits, and audience time has value that the law will protect.

Consumer rights activists have long argued that theatres exploit a captive audience with marathon ad reels. While advertising is a legitimate revenue stream, forums have increasingly held that it cannot come at the cost of the core service. This order adds to a body of rulings pushing exhibitors towards fairer practices, and the forum noted that the theatre’s conduct fell short of the standard of service a paying customer is entitled to expect.

What it means for moviegoers

The ruling empowers consumers to push back against excessive pre-show advertising. Viewers who face similar experiences can approach consumer forums for redress.

For theatres, the message is equally clear — keep the ads reasonable, start the film on time, or risk paying for the delay.