For some, cinema adverts are a nuisance, while others see them as a useful buffer while waiting in line for popcorn.

However, for a man in India, the lengthy marathon of cinema advertising was so exasperating that he took the matter to court and emerged victorious.

Abhishek MR, a 30-year-old resident of Bangalore, had planned to watch the wartime drama ‘Sam Bahadur’ with friends in December last year.

Despite booking a ticket for a 4:05 PM screening, he had to endure 25 minutes of advertisements before the film began.

Frustrated by the delay, which disrupted his work schedule, he sued India’s largest cinema chain, PVR Inox, claiming that due to the length of the advertisements, he missed other important commitments and suffered losses that couldn’t be easily quantified.

In its ruling, the consumer court was very understanding of Abhishek MR’s position and ordered the cinema to compensate him with 50,000 INR (approximately £450) for wasting his time and 5,000 INR (about £45) for mental distress, along with covering his legal expenses.

The court acknowledged the value of time in today’s world, noting that 25 to 30 minutes of sitting through unnecessary ads is a significant duration, especially for individuals with tight schedules.

The cinema tried to defend itself by claiming it was mandated to show public service announcements. However, it was determined that most of the shown adverts were commercial in nature.

In India, cinema is viewed as a highly effective platform for advertising, unlike in Western countries, where adverts are typically shown only before movies and not during a break in the middle of the feature.