I'm just a comet, not a star in Bollywood: Nafisa Ali

Ali, shot to instant fame with her portrayal of a mesmerising young British girl in Shyam Benegal's 1979 film 'Junoon' opposite Shashi Kapoor but took a break after she got married and later became a social activist.

"I love doing films but I am just a comet and not a star in Bollywood. I am happy with the limited roles that I do and the appreciation that comes my way," she said.

The 53-year-old former Ms India returned to Bollywood in 1998 opposite megastar Amitabh Bachchan and her recent acting credentials include a role opposite Dharmendra in 'Life In A... Metro' in 2007.

Her latest movie 'Lahore' by debutante filmmaker Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan looks at Indo-Pak relations in the light of 'kick-boxing', a sport unknown to Indian Cinema.

"As a social activist I am always thinking about humanity and that young people should think about change. 'Lahore' deals with a sensitive subject and I thought it was necessary for me to do it. Whenever I do a film I think about what message it will convey," Nafisa said.

A former National swimming champion herself, she feels the movie which has already bagged accolades at International Film Festivals, bring the youth of both countries closer.

"The story of the film is very empowering and as a former national swimming champion I loved to essay the role of a mother who has two sons, one is a cricketer and the other is a kick boxer. The film has the spirit of both," Nafisa said.

"I hope after watching the film a lot of young people will go for kickboxing and I think the youth of India and Pakistan will relate to it," she added.

The movie sees her sharing screen space with actor Farooque Sheikh and she admits it was a delight working with him.

"I had wonderful time working with Farooque who is a brilliant actor," the actress said.
The movie set to be released on March 19 and to be distributed by Hollywood studio Warner Bros Pictures also stars actors Sushant Singh, Saurabh Shukla and Nirmal Pandey in important roles.

A former Miss India, Nafisa will next be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Guzaarish' where she will be playing the role of Hrithik Roshan's mother.