In Bollywood, said model-turned-actress Neha Dhupia, either sex sells or Shah Rukh Khan. Since Khan was not in her film, Dhupia has put oodles of sex.

Dhupia is here to promote her film "Julie" where she plays a prostitute and whose sexy posters and promos, featuring the actress backless and semi-nude, have created waves.

"I believed in the script - it's a powerful tale of a college girl who becomes a prostitute," said Dhupia, clad in baby pink trousers, a silvery coat, a chunky necklace at the Waves film theatre in suburban Noida.

"It is all about emotions and I have given it my 100 percent," she told IANS.

"Julie is the journey of a girl from Goa who enters the concrete jungle of Mumbai," said "Julie" director Deepak Shivdasani, who accompanied Dhupia. "It is the love story of a prostitute."

The film is about Mihir Shandilya, a multi-millionaire bachelor (Priyanshu Chatterjee) who falls in love with Julie (Dhupia's character). He is shocked to discover Julie's profession but battles it out with his family and society to marry her.

"Julie" is Dhupia's second release after the action flick "Qayamat". The film continues Bollywood's new trend of skin flicks with films like "Murder", "Tum", "Girlfriend".

"Yes, we have marketed the film on sex," admitted Shivdasani. "But the film was planned much before the release of Murder. It tells a story."

Backless posters of Dhupia have been hugging theatre walls and CD covers and making headlines. The crew admits it's all a publicity stunt to lure the audience.

Shivdasani also revealed that Dhupia had to sign a no-objection contract for sexy scenes.

"And I have done exactly what was written in the contract and nothing more," said Dhupia.

Shivdasani has a penchant for doing films on prostitutes - his earlier two were "Baagi" and "Pehchaan". But there is a difference.

"My earlier films were based on real-life characters. But Julie is completely fictitious." The censors have chopped 11 frames from the "Julie".