Nafisa Ali facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nafisa
Nafisa Ali at the premiere of the film Lahore
Born	Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Other names	Nafisa Ali Sodhi
Occupation	Actress model politician
Years active	1978–present
Political party	All India Trinamool Congress (2021—present)
Spouse(s)	R. S. Sodhi

Nafisa Ali is a well-known Indian actress, a politician, and an activist. She also used to be a beauty pageant winner. Currently, she is a member of the All India Trinamool Congress political party.

Early Life and Education

Nafisa Ali was born in Kolkata, India. Her father, Ahmed Ali, was from a Bengali family. Her mother, Philomena Torresan, had Anglo-Indian roots. Nafisa's grandfather, S. Wajid Ali, was a famous Bengali writer. Her aunt, Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah, was a journalist in Pakistan.

Nafisa went to school at La Martiniere Calcutta. She was even a House Captain there. She also studied vedanta, which is a type of Hindu philosophy. She learned from Swami Chinmayananda, who started the Chinmaya Mission.

Nafisa Ali's Career

Nafisa Ali has achieved success in many different areas.

Sports and Modeling Achievements

Nafisa was a national champion in swimming. She held this title from 1972 to 1974. In 1976, she won the Femina Miss India beauty pageant. She then represented India at the Miss International competition. There, she was the second runner-up. In 1979, Nafisa also became a jockey at the Calcutta Gymkhana. This means she rode horses in races.

Acting in Films

Nafisa Ali has acted in many Bollywood films. Some of her well-known movies include Junoon (1979) with Shashi Kapoor. She also starred in Major Saab (1998) with Amitabh Bachchan. Other popular films are Bewafaa (2005), Life In A... Metro (2007), and Yamla Pagla Deewana (2010) with Dharmendra.

She also acted in a Malayalam language film. This movie was called Big B (2007). She starred alongside the actor Mammootty in it.

Political Journey

Nafisa Ali has also been active in politics. In 2004, she ran for the Lok Sabha elections. This is a big election for India's Parliament. She ran from South Kolkata but did not win. In 2009, she ran for the Lok Sabha again. This time, she ran from Lucknow for the Samajwadi Party.

Later, in November 2009, she rejoined the Indian National Congress party. She said she would stay with them for life. However, in October 2021, she joined the All India Trinamool Congress. She did this before the 2022 Goa Legislative Assembly election.

Personal Life and Activism

Nafisa Ali is married to Colonel Ravinder Singh Sodhi. He is a famous polo player. He even won the Arjuna Award for his sports achievements. After getting married, Nafisa decided to take a break from work. She wanted to focus on raising her children. She has two daughters named Armana and Pia, and a son named Ajit.

In 2005, she became the chairperson of the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI). This organization helps make films for children. She also worked with Action India. This group helps to spread awareness about AIDS. In November 2018, Nafisa Ali shared that she was diagnosed with cancer.

Filmography

• Junoon (1979)
• Kshatriya (1993)
• Aatank (1996)
• Major Saab (1998)
• Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar (2001)
• Bewafaa (2005)
• Godfather: The Legend Continues (2007)
• Big B (2007) as Mary teacher
• Life in a... Metro (2008)
• Guzaarish (2010)
• Lahore (2010)
• Yamla Pagla Deewana (2011)
• Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster 3 (2018) as Rajmata Yashodhara
• Max, Min and Meowzaki (2022) as Jennifer Sequera
• Uunchai (2022)

See also

• List of Indian women athletes