Madhya Pradesh High Court Issues Remarks on PIL Against Long Ads Before Movies in Cinemas

Court Stresses the Importance of Stakeholder Discussions on the Issue

In an ongoing hearing regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against long advertisements before movie screenings, the Madhya Pradesh High Court remarked that it expects both Central and State governments to engage in meaningful discussions with all stakeholders involved. The PIL, filed by a law student from Gwalior, seeks to address the issue of prolonged advertisements in cinema halls, which cause delays in the start of movies and inconvenience moviegoers.

Court Highlights 'Time is a Valuable Resource'

A Bench of Justice Anand Pathak and Justice Hirdesh emphasized the value of time and stressed that a solution to this issue could only be found after comprehensive deliberations with all parties involved. The Court remarked, “Time is a valuable resource, and how the divergent views can be reconciled, is to be seen by the respondents.” This underscores the Court's concern over the loss of time due to extended ads, which delay movie showtimes.

Court Calls for Administrative Discussions and Policy Decisions

Initially, the Court noted that the matter might not be ripe for judicial adjudication at this stage and should be addressed at the administrative and policymaking levels. Justice Pathak observed, "It is to be discussed and decided at the policymaking stage as well as at the stage of administrative decision-making so that multiple stakeholders involved in it may be consulted." The Court emphasized that after appropriate deliberations, guidelines could be framed to regulate the issue.

The judges also clarified that they did not intend to enter the realm of subjectivity at this point. Objectivity, they believed, could only be ensured once all relevant parties have been consulted and a decision has been made by the Union government.

Petitioner Urges Accurate Movie Show Timings on Tickets

The petitioner, a law student, argued that multiplex cinemas often exceeded the advertised showtime due to excessive advertisements, leading to a delay in movie start times. She claimed that moviegoers, having planned their schedules around the advertised showtime, are often inconvenienced by the extended advertisement durations.

Drawing attention to a proposed law in Connecticut, USA, that mandates the disclosure of actual movie start times, the petitioner suggested that India could adopt similar provisions. She proposed that movie tickets in India should display two separate timings:

• One for the theatre opening (for entry)
• Another for the actual movie start time

This suggestion aims to make the process more transparent and allow moviegoers to better plan their schedules.

Court Provides Petitioner Liberty to Engage with Authorities

While the Court did not make any immediate ruling, it granted the petitioner liberty to submit a detailed representation to the relevant authorities, outlining the issues objectively. The Court directed that the authorities, once all stakeholders are consulted, should make an informed decision in line with the law.

The Court’s approach reflects a balance between addressing consumer concerns while respecting the administrative and policy-making processes that involve multiple stakeholders.

Recent Consumer Court Ruling on Movie Start Times

In a related development, a consumer court in Bengaluru recently issued a ruling directing PVR Cinemas to ensure that movie tickets specify the actual start time of the movie, rather than listing the time when commercial advertisements are screened. This decision follows the growing recognition of the inconvenience caused by prolonged ad durations in theatres, particularly for moviegoers with tight schedules.

The Bengaluru consumer court noted, “In the new era, time is considered money. Each person’s time is precious, and no one has the right to profit from others' time and money.” The Court highlighted that a 25-30 minute delay due to advertisements is significant, especially for individuals who lead busy lives and seek relaxation with family during a movie outing.