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Nafisa Ali: I will be in Goa with my entire family for my birthday, I feel like I haven’t grown old

Actor Nafisa Ali, who turns 64 today, goes down the memory lane to recall her most special birthday, and her outlook towards life changing over the years.

Published on: Jan 17, 2021, 13:44:24 IST
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Actor Nafisa Ali is a total birthday person, in her own words. “I love my birthdays because everyone in my family gives me presents and I feel happy. I have always been like this,” she laughs.

Actor Nafisa Ali has been a part of films such as Life in a ... Metro and Guzaarish.
Actor Nafisa Ali has been a part of films such as Life in a ... Metro and Guzaarish.

This time around, making things more special is the fact that she has her entire family with her. Ali’s fondest birthday memories go back to when she turned an adult. “I think it was my 18th or 21st birthday. I remember I got the maximum amount of flowers. We had a beautiful bungalow in Kolkata, and it was full of bouquets sent by my friends. When you are young, you want to be old enough, and grow up. Then you are suddenly there, and you realise oh there is just going to be one more grey hair and wrinkle,” she says.

Ali has had a very interesting life so far- she’s won a beauty pageant, dabbled in politics, acted in films. She adds some more to the list, “A National swimming champion, athletic champion, being a jockey, taking part in shows. I have been a tomboy, and sports has always taught me to try my best. More often than not, you win, but you definitely lose some, that’s what makes me human.”

Summing up her life so far, she says her cancer diagnosis taught her one thing: to take life as it comes. “You never let anything hurt you. Family is all important, and stood by me. I worked hard on making my cancer go away. I think positivity, blessings and sort of signals from the Universe helped me overcome the cancer which was a severe form. My doctors were phenomenal, how they cared for me, in their endeavour to ensure I did not die soon. Of course, there’s no guarantee for tomorrow, but I am in remission. I feel like I haven’t grown old,” she sums up with a laugh, but not before revealing her birthday wish.

“My dream is to build a small home in Goa. I want everyone reading this to pray for my dream,” says Ali.

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  • Rishabh Suri
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Rishabh Suri

    Rishabh Suri is an Assistant Editor, film critic, and professional overthinker of plot points. He writes for HT City, keeping pace with an industry where news cycles expire long before the popcorn gets cold. He completed his graduation in English Honours from Kirori Mal College, followed by a Master’s degree in English Literature-effectively training his brain to over-analyse classic texts before applying those exact same skills to 3-hour Bollywood blockbusters. He got into the profession when he had barely graduated from college and has been at HT ever since. At HT, Rishabh reviews films with a simple rule: skip the dense academic jargon and get straight to the point. Beyond reviews, as Assistant Editor, he helps navigate the broader circus of showbiz, tracking everything from OTT shifts to sudden box office panics. In a beat driven by loud PR machinery and carefully scripted answers, Rishabh prefers cutting through the noise to focus on how stories get made and why trends shift. When he isn’t writing against a deadline, he is usually sitting in a dark theater, compulsively memorising dialogues. For Rishabh, analysing movies isn't just a day job- it’s a habit he couldn't turn off even if he tried.Read More