Dusky beauty, articulate, Nandita Das, daughter of noted painter-father Jatin Das and writer-mother Varsha. Her debut film was Prakash Jha's Parinati in 1987, then came Fire, which could be called her first major film. There's depth, power and drama in her interpretation of characters she plays on the screen. The portrayal of an unhappy Indian woman, in film fire shot her to fame in Indian film industry.

Nandita Das started acting when she was barely out of school. She worked with a street-theatre group in Delhi called Jan Natya Manch. She worked with them for about six years.

She got her bachelor's degree in Geography and did her Master's in Social Work (MSW). She also worked as a theater/art teacher at the Rishi Valley School.