Vidya Balan doesn't believe that an actress needs to strip down to bikinis to look sexy.

In an industry where appearances in bikinis and swimsuits has become a norm rather than an exception, Vidya is secure and content doing her kind of roles.

"According to me, being sexy is about having a certain attitude, not just about skimpy clothes. The yesteryear actresses were all sexy without revealing skin. As far as I am concerned, I prefer sensuous to sexy," Balan, who was in the capital to attend a conference, is quoted by a news agency.

The Parineeta actress who has played the girl-next-door kind of roles in many a film and went glamourous for Kismat Konnection , is now playing a village belle in the Vishal Bharadwaj -produced film Ishqiya . And she is thrilled about her role.

"I play a woman in a remote village of India...I have worked really hard for the film, from taking classes in the dialect to grueling shooting sessions. But this is also a film that I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of," Balan said.

The movie has the 31-year-old actress playing a con-woman who takes on an uncle-nephew duo played by Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi .

Vidya says working in 'Ishqiya' was like doing her first film, 'Parineeta'.

"I think after 'Parineeta' it is one film that I enjoyed working on the most. It was a wonderful experience, a lot like my first film," said Balan, who recently walked the ramp for fashion designer Ritu Beri and has many product endorsements up for grabs.