Is a VPN really all I need to be safe while torrenting?

Suppose I want to torrent some movies / shows from pirate bay. Is having a VPN on my computer enough protection/privacy? Basically if I download over a VPN, is there any other way for ISPs or the gov to find out that I torrented something?

is there any other way for ISPs or the gov to find out that I torrented something

Yes, the only “other” way is when governments force the VPN to hand out your personal information.

If you’re looking for true anonymity, you’d use an anonymous network like i2p.