A controversy erupted recently when the makers of Jolly LLB 3 refused to pay Virtual Print Fee (VPF). It led to PVR Inox discontinuing the advance booking of the Akshay Kumar-Arshad Warsi starrer, sending shockwaves in the industry. The makers ultimately made the payment but they made it clear that they are paying it under protest. Two weeks later, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), on September 30, 2025 directed an investigation against PVR INOX Limited over allegations of abusing its dominant position by continuing to levy the Virtual Print Fee (VPF) on film producers. The judgment which came out also confirmed the fact that the producers of Jolly LLB 3, Viacom 18, along with Yash Raj Films had entered into separate deals with PVR Inox and if all had gone well, they would have been exempted from paying VPF for their films releasing 2025 onwards.
REVEALED: YRF’s Saiyaara and War 2 could have been released VPF-free! CCI order reveals ASTONISHING clause in PVR INOX deals
According to submissions by the Film and Television Producers’ Guild of India, PVR INOX entered into arrangements with YRF and Viacom that included “sunset clauses”, that is, agreements to phase out the payment of VPF by December 2024. This effectively meant that these two influential studios would no longer be burdened with VPF charges, while hundreds of small and medium producers continued to pay the fee for every film released across PVR screens. Producers’ Guild argued that this practice was blatantly discriminatory, creating a two-tier system in which only a select few benefited, leaving the rest of the industry disadvantaged.
In its rejoinder, Producers’ Guild stressed that such deals highlighted how PVR was using its dominant market position to favour powerful production houses while denying similar concessions to others. This, it argued, directly contravened provisions of the Competition Act, which prohibits enterprises from imposing unfair and discriminatory conditions.
PVR, however, defended its conduct. It told the CCI that the sunset clauses for YRF and Viacom had not yet been implemented and were still subject to renegotiation. It stated that Yash Raj and Viacom are eligible for sunset clauses only if they stop paying VPF to other exhibitors/DCE providers. It further claimed that these concessions were offered only because competing exhibitors such as Cinepolis were in talks with the same studios. As a result, PVR risked losing their films if it did not match those terms. As such, PVR argued that it was acting to “meet the competition”, which under the Act cannot be treated as discriminatory.
The CCI’s findings have sent ripples across the film trade. In its order, the Commission observed prima facie evidence of discriminatory conduct by PVR INOX, noting that while major studios like Yash Raj Films and Viacom18 had negotiated special “sunset clause” deals to phase out the controversial VPF, hundreds of smaller producers were still being charged for every release. Interestingly, had those agreements been implemented, YRF’s 2025 releases, Saiyaara and War 2, could have enjoyed VPF-free releases, unlike most Indian films that continue to bear the cost. Calling for a level playing field in film exhibition, the CCI has now ordered a full-fledged investigation by its Director General into PVR INOX’s conduct, a move that has once again reignited the industry-wide debate on fairness and transparency in the Virtual Print Fee system.
Also Read: Saiyaara star Ahaan Panday lights up a Mumbai classroom with smiles, songs, and dreams; see pics!
More Pages: Saiyaara Box Office Collection , Saiyaara Movie Review
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