Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty says talent is a must in the competitive film industry and not just a well-toned body.

Shetty, known for her perfect figure, told a Mumbai-based newspaper that it was not possible to live on good looks alone.

"I would like to believe there is more to me than my figure. In the movies, it's very difficult to live on looks alone," she said. "One has to be talented to make a mark in such a competitive environment."

Shetty has acted in more than 40 movies since her 1993 debut.

She attempted to change her image by playing an HIV-patient in the 2004 movie Phir Milenge, India's first mainstream film that dealt with AIDS.

"There has been a paradigm shift in the roles that I've portrayed recently," she said. "I've become an actress who can look good and emote as well."