Helen (actress)


Helen Ann Richardson Khan, known mononymously as Helen, is an Indian actress and dancer. She has appeared in over 750 films, making her a prolific performer in Hindi cinema. In a career spanning 70 years, Helen has received one Filmfare Award. She is often cited as one of the most popular nautch and cabaret dancers of her time. In 2009, Helen was awarded with the Padma Shri by the Government of India.

Early life and background

Helen Ann Richardson was born on 21 November 1938 in Rangoon, Burma to an Anglo-Indian father and a Burmese mother. Her father's name was George Desmier and her mother's name was Marlene. She has a brother named Roger and a sister named Jennifer. Their father died during World War II. The family then trekked to Dibrugarh of Assam in 1943 in order to escape from the Japanese occupation of Burma. Helen told Filmfare during an interview in 1964:
...we trekked alternately through wilderness and hundreds of villages, surviving on the generosity of people, for we were penniless, with no food and few clothes. Occasionally, we met British soldiers who provided us with transport, found us refuge and treated our blistered feet and bruised bodies and fed us. By the time we reached Dibrugarh in Assam, our group had been reduced to half. Some had fallen ill and been left behind, some had died of starvation and disease. My mother miscarried along the way. The survivors were admitted to the Dibrugarh hospital for treatment. Mother and I had been virtually reduced to skeletons and my brother's condition was critical. We spent two months in hospital. When we recovered, we moved to Calcutta, and sadly my brother died there due to smallpox".
She quit her schooling to support her family because her mother's salary as a nurse was not enough to feed a family of four. In a documentary called Queen of the Nautch girls, Helen said she was 19 years old in 1958 when she got her first big break in Howrah Bridge.

Career

Helen was introduced to Bollywood when a family friend, an actress known as Cuckoo, helped her find jobs as a group dancer in the films Shabistan and Awaara. She was soon working regularly and was featured as a solo dancer in films such as Alif Laila and Hoor-e-Arab. She also featured as Street singer in film Mayurpankh.
Helen got her major break in 1958, aged 19, when she performed on the song "Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu" in Shakti Samanta's film, Howrah Bridge, which was sung by Geeta Dutt. After that, offers started pouring in throughout the 1960s and 1970s. During her initial career, Geeta Dutt sang many songs for her. In the plot of many of the films of this period, Helen performs a song or dance then is killed, leaving the film's "good woman" available for the hero.
The Bollywood playback singer Asha Bhosle also frequently sang for Helen, particularly during the 1960s and the early 1970s. She was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1965 for her role as Kitty Kelly in Gumnaam. She played dramatic roles in films like China Town and Sachaai starring Shammi Kapoor which went on to be very successful at the box office. She also played a sensitive character in the film Chhote Sarkar starring Shammi Kapoor and Sadhana. With Shammi Kapoor, she did many hit dance numbers like 'Suku Suku' in Junglee, ' Yamma Yamma' in China Town, 'O Haseena Zulfonwali' in Teesri Manzil, 'Hai Pyar Ka Hi Naam' in Singapore, and 'Muqabla Humse Na Karo' in Prince.
Helen performed onstage in London, Paris, and Hong Kong. In 1972, she appeared in the Kannada movie Bhale Huchcha. In 1973, Helen, Queen of the Nautch Girls, a 30-minute documentary film from Merchant Ivory Films, was released. Anthony Korner directed and narrated the film. A book about Helen was published by Jerry Pinto in 2006, titled The Life and Times of an H-Bomb, which went on to win the National Film Award for Best Book on Cinema in 2007. Writer Salim Khan helped her get roles in some of the films he was co-scripting with Javed Akhtar: Immaan Dharam, Don, Dostana, and Sholay. This was followed by a role in Mahesh Bhatt's film Lahu Ke Do Rang, for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 1999, Helen was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award.
Helen officially retired from movies in 1983, but she has since then appeared in a few guest roles such as Khamoshi: The Musical and Mohabbatein. She also made a special appearance as the mother of real-life step-son Salman Khan's character in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. She also appeared in Humko Deewana Kar Gaye.
Helen was selected for the Padma Shri awards of 2009 along with Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar. She appeared as a judge in the semifinals and finals of India's 2009 Dancing Queen television series.

Personal life

Helen's first marriage was in 1957 to film director Prem Narayan Arora of Dil Daulat Duniya fame, who was 27 years older than her. She divorced him in 1974. In 1981, Helen married Salim Khan, a prominent Bollywood screenplay writer. Khan was already married and the father of four children; Helen joined the Khan family and had a large role in keeping the family united. All of Helen's step-children have bonded closely with her, and Helen is almost invariably accompanied in public appearances by Salma Khan, Salim's first wife. She has adopted a daughter, Arpita Khan. Helen is a Christian.

Selected filmography

Awaara Shabistan Alif Laila Mayurpankh Santosham Halaku Mr. Lambu Yahudi Ki Ladki Dongallo Dora Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi Howrah Bridge Yahudi Bhookailas Uthama Puthiran Sawan Anari Hum Hindustani Abdulla Return of Mr. Superman Ek Phool Char Kante Bahana Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai Baghdad Thirudan Gunga Jumna Umar Qaid Mr. India Sampoorna Ramayana Half Ticket Bombay Ka Chor China Town Sunheri Nagin Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo Bidesiya Shikari Mulzim Taj Mahal Aaya Toofan Cha Cha Cha Woh Kaun Thi? Zindagi Mohabbat Isko Kahete Hain Faisla Gumnaam Khandan Kaajal Love and Murder Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi Teesri Manzil Dus Lakh Chaddian Di Doli Bahu Begum

Awards and honors

In popular culture