Hyderabad Moviegoer Gets ₹75,000 Over Long Ads Before Kubera

Going to the cinema usually means reaching the theatre a little early, finding your seat and waiting for the movie to begin. However, a Hyderabad moviegoer found himself waiting much longer than expected after a theatre screened an extended series of advertisements before a show of Kubera.

The incident, which took place in September 2025, has now attracted attention after the moviegoer approached the consumer court over the delay.

Theatre Show Began Late Due to Advertisements

The man had booked tickets to watch Kubera at a theatre in Hyderabad. The scheduled show time was around 10:35 PM. However, instead of starting the film at the announced time, the theatre continued playing advertisements and promotional content.

According to the complaint, audiences were made to sit through more than 22 minutes of advertisements before the actual movie screening began. The prolonged delay reportedly left the moviegoer frustrated, prompting him to seek legal action.

Consumer Court Orders Compensation

The moviegoer argued before the consumer forum that the theatre had unnecessarily consumed his time by running advertisements for an extended period after the scheduled show time.

After considering the complaint, the consumer court directed the theatre to pay ₹25,000 in compensation to the moviegoer. In addition, the theatre was ordered to deposit ₹50,000 with the district consumer bench.

This takes the total financial liability arising from the order to ₹75,000.

Long Pre-Movie Ads Spark Debate

The case has once again brought attention to the increasingly common practice of screening advertisements before movies. While advertisements have become a regular part of the cinema experience, lengthy promotional segments can be particularly frustrating when they continue well beyond the advertised show time.

For audiences who purchase tickets for a specific screening, the expectation is generally that the movie will begin around the stated time. The Hyderabad case has therefore raised questions about how long theatres should continue showing advertisements before starting the main feature.

The matter could also encourage moviegoers to pay closer attention to the duration of pre-show advertisements and their rights as consumers when scheduled screenings are significantly delayed.