Early Life

Aruna Asaf Ali was born into a Bengali Brahmin family in Kalka, Punjab, British India (now in the Indian state of Haryana). Although he resided in the United Province, her father Upendranath Ganguly was originally from the Barisal area of Eastern Bengal (now Bangladesh). He owned a restaurant. Her mother, Ambalika Devi, was a well-known Brahmo leader and hymn-writer. She was the daughter of Trailokyanath Sanyal. One of the first film directors was Dhirendranath Ganguly (DG), the younger brother of Upendranath Ganguly. Rabindranath Tagore's only surviving daughter Mira Devi was married to another brother, Nagendranath, a university professor. Purnima Banerjee, Aruna's sister, served in the Indian Constituent Assembly.

Aruna attended Sacred Heart Convent in Lahore and All Saints' College in Nainital for her education. She began working as a teacher at the Gokhale Memorial School in Calcutta after receiving her degree. In Allahabad, she met Asaf Ali, a prominent member of the Congress party. Despite parental resistance on the basis of faith and age, they were married in 1928. He was a Muslim and her senior by more than 20 years.