Nafisa Ali

Nafisa Ali is an Indian actress, former Miss India, a national swimming champion, social activist,  politician and a brave lady who fought cancer at the age of 61. 

Nafisa started to swim at a very young age and was the national swimming champion from 1972 to 1974.

She won the Femina Miss India title in 1976 and represented India at the Miss International contest becoming the 2nd runner-up.

Nafisa became an actress by mere chance when the late actor Rishi Kapoor noticed her in a popular magazine. Her father denied it initially but later she chose to follow her passion and pursued acting.

She has acted in several films with notable works in Junoon, Major Saab, Bewafaa, Life in a... Metro, and Yamla Pagla Deewana among others.

She launched the Orissa Cyclone Relief Fund when the state was struck by the super-cyclone in 1999 and also helped when the earthquake struck Bhuj, Gujarat, in 2001. She worked extensively in the villages and helped construct 340 huts.

Nafisa has been a part of a lot of social causes and is associated with Action India, an organization working to spread AIDS awareness.

She even contested the Lok Sabha elections twice, first on the behalf of Indian National Congress and the other with Samajwadi Party.

She was the Official Government delegate of India at the 49th UN Summit on the Status of Women, held in New York in 2005.

In 2018, Nafisa was diagnosed with stage 3 peritoneal and ovarian cancer which she fought back bravely and with utmost strength.

She made a cameo appearance in the film Uunchai in 2022.