Nafisa Ali was born on January 18, 1957, in Kolkata, India. She is the daughter of Ahmed Ali, a Bengali man, and Philomena Torresan, of Anglo-Indian heritage. Nafisa attended La Martiniere Calcutta and was a national swimming champion from 1972 to 1974. She gained fame after winning the Miss India title in 1976 and subsequently became the second runner-up at the Miss International contest in 1977. Nafisa is married to Colonel Ravinder Singh Sodhi, a polo player and Arjuna Award winner. The couple has three children: two daughters, Armana and Pia, and a son, Ajit. Nafisa has been involved in various social causes and political activities throughout her life, including her candidacy for the Lok Sabha elections in 2004 and 2009. She has also battled cancer, which she publicly addressed in 2018.