Theatres and cinema chains across China today suspended screenings of Oscar-winning film "Django Unchained" on the opening day following "technical reasons".
It was also speculated here on social networking sites that the suspension could have been because of complaints of nudity and obscenity.
Today morning, the Huayi Brothers Cinema used its account on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like microblogging service, to announce that showings of the film have been suspended for technical reasons," state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The cinemas received a notice from the importer of the film to suspend showings, a statement posted on the Mtime.Com, a popular movie information and ticket booking website in the country said.
An unnamed employee of the Shanghai-based cinema chain Ultimate Movie Experience (UME) said that UME theatres in China have suspended sales of tickets for the film by director Quentin Tarantino.
Complaints and speculation have cropped up online, with many netizens guessing that nudity in the film may be why it has been suspended in theatres, the news agency report said.
"The harm created by the act (of suddenly suspending the screening of the film) will be much greater than what may be brought by some 'dangerous scenes' to the nation's politics," Hu Xijin, editor of the state-run the Global Times, wrote on his microblog.
Hu said some authorities have frequently made questionable decisions at the expense of the government's credibility.
"Django Unchained" is Tarantino's first commercial release in China, regarded as the one of top largest film markets.
Since its premiere, the film following a former American slave's pursuit of freedom and love has earned over USD 400 million globally.
