Case booked against PVR Inorbit for playing ads beyond show-timing

Hyderabad: Madhapur Police station has booked a case against PVR in Inorbit on Friday, January 3, for playing advertisements beyond movie show timings. It is the second such complaint, as a similar case was booked against Cinepolis earlier in October 2019.

Forum Against Corruption members filed a complaint against PVR Inorbit on December 31, 2019, as mall authorities ran advertisements for up to 12 minutes after the movie’s showtime. Police have registered an FIR under sections 9A (1) and 10 2(b) of TS Cinemas Regulation Act. The rules state that the license of a theatre can be revoked if the concerned is not abiding by the Act

While speaking to NewsMeter, Sai Teja of the Forum Against Corruption said, “The Jumanji movie was supposed to start at 1:55 pm as per timings mentioned in the ticket. However, it started 12 minutes late. We complained to the mall management, and they asked us to note the issue in their feedback register. We then registered a complaint with the Madhapur Police station.”

The Forum first registered the complaint on the government’s Hawk-Eye application, and later they filed a written complaint with Madhapur Police station.

Meanwhile, Mr Vijay Gopal, the founder of Forum against Corruption, said, “The complaint has to be registered in the feedback register of the mall. It is so that they can’t deny the allegations later.”

In the complaint, the Forum said, “We do not pay for movie tickets so that theatre/multiplex management can make us sit and watch ads for which they generate revenue. They trick us by claiming that the time they mention is the show start time.” Not playing the movie at the mentioned time is an unfair trade practice and is a violation under the Telangana Cinema Regulation Act of 1955.

Speaking to NewsMeter, Madhapur Inspector said, “We have booked a case, and we will issue a notice to mall authorities for not complying by the Cinema Regulation Act. Further investigation will take place.”