Though it might come as a surprise to some but actor and director, Nandita Das has never been to a film school

She tells CS, `I always wanted to be an actor but I never felt the importance of joining a film school.

I thought that everything could be learnt 'hands on' on the job. I have been very fortunate to have made it so far. When Deepa (director Deepa Mehta) roped me in for Fire, I was quite a greenhorn.

I had done a bit of theatre but working on a film was something else altogether. There were times when I would freeze in trepidation. Life would have been much simpler if I had gone to film school.`