A controversy erupted recently when the makers of *Jolly LLB 3* refused to pay the Virtual Print Fee (VPF). This refusal led to PVR Inox discontinuing advance booking for the Akshay Kumar-Arshad Warsi starrer, sending shockwaves across the film industry. Ultimately, the makers did make the payment, but they clarified that it was done under protest.
Two weeks later, on September 30, 2025, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) directed an investigation against PVR INOX Limited. The probe focuses on allegations that PVR abused its dominant position by continuing to levy the Virtual Print Fee on film producers.
**Revealed: YRF’s *Saiyaara* and *War 2* Could Have Been Released VPF-Free!**
It has come to light that Yash Raj Films’ releases, *Saiyaara* and *War 2*, could have been exempt from VPF charges. This revelation implies that these influential studios would no longer bear the burden of VPF, while hundreds of small and medium producers continue to pay the fee for every film released across PVR screens.
The Producers’ Guild condemned this practice, arguing that it is blatantly discriminatory. They claim it creates a two-tier system where only a select few benefit, leaving the majority of the industry at a disadvantage.
In response, the Producers’ Guild stressed that such deals demonstrate how PVR allegedly uses its dominant market position to favor powerful production houses while denying similar concessions to others. According to them, this behavior contravenes provisions of the Competition Act, which prohibits enterprises from imposing unfair and discriminatory conditions.
**PVR’s Defense and the Ongoing Industry Debate**
PVR, however, defended its conduct. The company stated that these concessions were offered solely because competing exhibitors such as Cinepolis were negotiating similar deals with the same studios. PVR argued that failure to match such terms would risk losing these films to competitors.
Consequently, PVR claimed that its actions were aimed at “meeting the competition” — a practice that, under the Competition Act, cannot be deemed discriminatory.
The CCI’s investigation and findings have sent ripples across the film trade. Had these 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 this 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. This move has once again reignited a wider industry debate on fairness and transparency within the Virtual Print Fee system.
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