Sherlyn Chopra bags 'Kamasutra 3D'

New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS) Actress Sherlyn Chopra, the first Indian girl to pose nude for international magazine Playboy, has bagged a role in "Kamasutra 3D", to be directed by Rupesh Paul.

"I am glad to have Sherlyn on board. She has the earthiness and sensuality that her character requires. This will be a redefining film of her career," Paul said in a statement.

Paul announced the project at the Cannes Film Festival this year. But Sherlyn has been locked for a key role only recently.

The film is expected to premiere at the prestigious festival in 2013.

Besides Sherlyn, there are two more important characters in the film which might be played by known Bollywood actors. The director didn't give out any more details, but said: "The casting is on and all I can say now is that it is going to be the surprise package of the film".

Finding actors for his film hasn't been a cakewalk for the director.

"I got mixed reactions from the actors that I approached. While a few of them gave me a cold shoulder branding my film as graphic porn, most of them appreciated the bold idea," added Paul.

He strongly defends the association of Kamasutra with porn.

"India is known as a land of Kamasutra. The epic erotica is as significant as Gita or Ramayana. It is not just about sensuality and eroticism. It is a struggle of human mind to understand one of the most important areas of life. It is pathetic to relate this ancient scripture to porn," he said.

"If you go to Paris, every coffee shop will have an abridged version of Kamasutra. The ancient scriptures are read and appreciated by millions of people abroad and we never owned it. It is such a shame," added Paul.

There is another reason why the director has decided to release the film in 2013.

"Indian cinema is completing 100 years in 2013 and an epic film like 'Kamasutra' should release in the same year. The film will do the rounds at various international festivals and it will be in a way celebration of Indian culture also apart from Indian cinema" he says.

The movie's initial trailers, shot by Sapan Narula, will be screened soon in Los Angeles Nov 4 and later at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Earlier, Mira Nair's "Kamasutra: A Tale Of Love", released in 1996, delved on the same subject.