Nafisa Ali (born 18 January 1957) is an actress, former beauty queen, national swimming champion, social activist, and politician whose multifaceted career spans cinema, public service, and social reform.
Born in Baratajpur, West Bengal, Nafisa hails from a distinguished and diverse lineage. Her father, Ahmed Ali, was a photographer and son of Bengali writer S. Wajid Ali, while her mother, Philomena Torresan, of Anglo-Indian and Roman Catholic descent, later settled in Australia. Nafisa was raised in Kolkata and studied at La Martiniere, where she also excelled in sports. Between 1972 and 1974, she was India’s national swimming champion, showcasing early signs of discipline and public visibility.
In 1976, Nafisa won the Femina Miss India title and went on to become the second runner-up at the Miss International pageant in 1977. Her beauty queen stature, combined with a magnetic screen presence, led her to a successful film debut in Shyam Benegal’s Junoon (1979), co-starring Shashi Kapoor. After marrying Colonel R.S. “Pickles” Sodhi, a polo champion and Arjuna Awardee, in 1980, she took a long break from acting to raise her three children. She returned to the screen in the late 1990s with films like Major Saab and later appeared in acclaimed movies such as Life in a… Metro, Guzaarish, Yamla Pagla Deewana, and Uunchai.
Parallel to her artistic career, Nafisa has been deeply involved in social causes. She chaired the Children’s Film Society of India (CFSI) from 2005 and has consistently promoted media for child education. Her activism includes founding Ashraya, a hospice for AIDS/HIV patients in Delhi, and participating in tuberculosis (DOTS) treatment campaigns. She also launched relief efforts during the 1999 Odisha super cyclone and the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, helping rebuild communities. Her advocacy for education, women’s empowerment, and public health has made her a respected voice in humanitarian efforts.
Nafisa also ventured into politics. She contested the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from South Kolkata as a Congress candidate and ran again from Lucknow in 2009 on a Samajwadi Party ticket. She later rejoined the Congress and, in 2021, joined the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) ahead of the Goa elections. She was also part of India’s official delegation to the 49th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in 2005.
Despite battling Stage 3 peritoneal cancer in 2018, Nafisa continued to inspire with her resilience, speaking openly about her diagnosis and treatment to raise awareness. She remains active in public life, admired for her elegance, intelligence, and enduring commitment to societal change.
TNafisa’s life and work reflect a quiet but persistent advocacy for dignity, equity, and compassion, both on-screen and off-screen. Her journey from national sports to cinema, activism, and politics makes her a uniquely impactful figure in modern Indian public life.