A voice of change

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Life has just taken a new turn for 54-year-old ex-Miss India, actress, politician and activist Nafisa Ali. “With the political life a bit quiet at present, I’ve taken up my boutique as a challenge. There are so many things I want to explore, so I decided to try my hands at business,” she says. Her boutique in the capital is called Appna, an acronym of the first alphabets of names of her family members — Armana, Pickles, Pia, Nafisa and Ajit.

Clad in a casual salwar kameez and floaters, she confesses she’s not fashion-conscious. “But I’m conscious of fashion as an observer. When I first came Delhi about 20 years back, I wanted to own a design house where I could promote Indian art designers abroad. I set up a company with a friend but it didn’t work out. So I started this one,” she tells us.
Nafisa plays to win, and eyeing the Miss India crown in 1976 was more a spur of the moment thing. “Those days, my mom subscribed to Eve’s Weekly and with the Asian Games fever on, my parents were planning to buy a television. And then I said, ‘Don’t buy it, I’ll win one for you’. I decided to participate. And I won,” she laughs.
It was a few years before this that Bollywood came calling on this swimming champ. “In 1972, when I became the Bengal champion in swimming, I was called ‘the sizzling water baby’ by a magazine. That’s when Raj Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor saw my picture on the cover and wrote to my father saying they wanted me to act in a film. My father refused, as I was only 16. Years later, when I was 21, I got another offer for Junoon, and this time I didn’t refuse.”
Tinsel town lost its sheen for Nafisa when she needed to put her family first. “My husband has always been the stabilising factor in my life and though I never pictured myself as ‘just’ a housewife, I gave up everything for 18 years to take care of my family and kids,” she says. Of course she came back, this time with more grace.
“When I got to know that I’ll be playing an army officer with Amitabh Bachchan, I was sure of the film. Working with him was always a dream,” smiles Nafisa.
Another turning point in her life was entering the political arena. “After the demolition of Babri Masjid, the political climate of the country was troubled. My idea of joining the Congress was to join the crusade against the communal agenda of other parties. Throughout my political career, I’ve stood up for what I believed was right,” she says.
Standing up for her beliefs and principles often meant having to brush off what society had to say. “After the Gujarat riots, I spoke out in protest and Narendra Modi filed many fraudulent cases against me to shut me up. But I stood my ground,” she recalls.
Determined to work towards changing the system, she says, “It disturbs me when people don’t speak out. I don’t want to be a part of that silent minority. My husband keeps telling me, ‘Why do you take on the system when you can’t change it?’ I say that I can make a point with the system and ensure that I’m heard.”
Having lived a satisfying life, Nafisa believes opportunities come on a platter — you have to know when to take them up. “From the national champion in swimming, to my dad’s favourite model since the time I could walk, opportunities have always come my way and I’ve picked the right ones,” she says.