It was a hot Friday afternoon when I was out for some sarkaari kaam kaaj . I had submitted the documents at the Lucknow secretariat (Hazratganj) by 2 pm and had around 3.5 hours to kill before collecting the documents from the same place. "What could be a better time-pass than watching a movie at PVR?", I thought when I was alone. So, I rode my bike, Bajaj CT-100 (which at times gives a feel and pickup better than a 200 cc Pulsar till I shift into the 3rd gear :D), to the Saharaganj mall. I actually wanted to watch Rajneeti but the show timings were not suitable. On the weekend before that when I watched Raavana, I had seen the trailer of "The A-Team" and that seemed to be a nice option as English movies also tend to be shorter in duration. I booked a ticket for the 3:10 pm show. Before booking, I evaluated the worst case scenario i.e. 3:10 pm plus 150 minutes makes it 5:40 pm, so I would be out of PVR in time to collect my documents from the secretariat before 6 pm, without missing any part of the movie. As I stood waiting for the door of Screen 2 to open, I realized I was very thirsty after running around the court for an affidavit and then around the secretariat office for de-lamination of my degree certificate, lack of fluid supply, you know. So I bought a Large Pepsi for myself :). I was happy sipping it and waiting for the door of Screen 2 to open. By the time I thought it was too late and had a look at my mobile, the time it showed was 3:25 pm , total 15 minutes late for a show !! I asked the the security guard standing outside the Screen 2 about the show and he said "Sir, do minute mein shuru ho jayega". I said "Ok". But I was not Ok at all. I had paid a sum of Rs 150/- for a show, and I wanted the show to start and end on time. I ran around to ask for the manager at PVR, as I wanted to register a complaint against this low quality service. Through some inquiry, I managed to reach to a box where feedback forms could be submitted. I wrote about my grievances and dropped a form with my contact number and mail id.
At last, the movie started at 3:35 pm, 25 minutes behind schedule. The move was really enjoyable with some nice characters, good action but it was longer than what I had expected and eventually I had to miss the climax. It was an agonizing experience to leave the hall when the movie was climaxing. I went to the secretariat, collected my documents and came back to campus (for those who don't know, I am studying at IIM Lucknow). After coming back, I again complained to PVR from their website through the feedback option.
A week had passed after this event when I received a call from PVR representative, for understanding the problem that I had faced, and he also tried to understand my demands. I demanded at least 2 tickets of any new release at PVR, rationalizing that by saying that it was a one-off incidents when I watched the movie alone, but next time I would certainly come with a friend. He said he would get back to me. A couple of days later he called back and offered me only one free ticket for any movie, any show at PVR and said we can't do more than this for you. Although I expressed disappointment, I was reasonably happy with the proposition. I am sure not many of us would have officially complained about such an issue. To all such people, I would say, when it comes to our rights and related compensation, when the desired service levels are not provided, "Hak se maango" !!
