There is something magical about films: Soha Ali Khan

Actor Soha Ali Khan says she has always found it absurd that people think she should not have opted for higher studies if she wanted to end up doing films.

The 39-year-old actor studied Modern History at Balliol College in Oxford and holds a Masters degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

She ultimately decided to follow her mother, veteran actor Sharmila Tagore and brother Saif Ali Khan's footsteps by joining films and has no regrets about her decision.

"I have always been asked that 'if you are going work in films, why did you study so much?' And I always thought that this does not make sense as a question. Education has nothing to do with what you do in life.

"There is something magical about films and I did not do it for as long as I could," Soha said at the launch of her book "The Perils of Being Moderately Famous" here last night.

The "Rang De Basanti" actor said she decided to write a book as she thought she could share her insecurities about being moderately famous in a family of accomplished artistes in a humorous way.

"The insecurities coming along with it, comparisons that are made which are very difficult to live up to and I feel there is a very big shoe to fill," Soha said in a conversation with senior journalist Barkha Dutt.

She was also joined by her mother on the panel.

"I also feel that striking the right tone with readers about my failures, insecurities and the learning step that come across, but at the same time, not being too hard on myself, was the most difficult thing for me," she added.

Soha said she had penned essays and columns in newspapers and writing a full-fledged book proved to be a daunting task for her.

"I wanted to write a non-fiction work because I don't have the imagination for creative fiction. I felt there are certain things about my life that I could draw from and that might be humorous," she said.

The actor also said that her family support does not mean that they blindly endorse her decisions.

"I did share that (her decision to write a book) with some of my family members and friends. They are not the kind of people who blindly praise me. There was a lot of constructive feedback and it was more or less encouraging, that's how I wrote this book," Soha said.