Nafisa Joseph had everything a young girl could ask for. She was gorgeous, had won the prestigious Femina Miss India contest in 1997 when she was 18, was a successful model and compere, was a VJ with MTV and hosted a show on Star World.
Second runner-up at Miss Universe contest in 1997, she entered the modelling world as a child and was groomed by fashion guru Prasad Bidappa.
But even then she adroitly divided her time between academics in Bangalore, photo shoots, sports and various other competitions.
And she wanted to be the best in everything. "I wouldn't be happy with anything less," she declared.
Photographs: Rediff archives
Research & Text: Rupali Nimkar