HBD Helen : Let’s look at the laud-worthy life journey of Cabaret Queen of India

Bollywood’s first-ever popular dancer, Helen, turns 84 today and no words are enough to appreciate this beautiful actress of Bollywood. Also known as Cabaret Queen of India, the actress revolutionised the way people used to think about singers and dancers in the early ages of Indian Cinema. 

There was a time when neither the audience nor the people of the industry used to respect the heroines who used to sing and dance in films. In a three-hour movie, dancers would appear for just a few minutes, and the audience would applaud. They had no recognition in the industry, and hardly anyone showed interest in knowing their names. But, then came the era of Helen.

The actress not only stayed in everyone’s hearts but also changed their perspective towards singers and dancers. The actress, who is called Bollywood’s first item girl, spewed her magic and left the audience impressed by her art. Even though the actress is away from showbiz today, her expertise in dancing is still held in the highest regard.

Today, on the 84th birthday of the actress who gave hit and evergreen item numbers like “Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu,” “Yamma Yamma,” “O Haseena Zulfon Wali,” and “Monica, O My Darling,” let us reminisce about her illustrious life journey.

Helen was born in Burma

Helen was born on November 21, 1938, in Burma, and her full name is Helen Ann Richardson. Her mother was originally from Burma. Helen’s father had died, and the family consisted of a brother and a half-sister, Jennifer, besides her mother. Her mother remarried a British soldier, but he too died in World War II. When Japan occupied Burma,

After this, her entire family decided to move to Mumbai. During the journey, she had to pass through forests and villages. Helen’s mother and both her siblings were starving. Fortunately, some villagers offered to let them stay in their houses and also gave them food.

She became the strongest pillar and supported her family

A British soldier gave them a vehicle, food, and medicines for their journey to Mumbai. During this time, the actress’ pregnant mother suffered a miscarriage. Some of the groups with which Helen’s family was coming to Mumbai died due to starvation, while the others died due to disease. 

There was still a long time to reach Mumbai, so her mother decided to stay back in Kolkata. She started working as a nurse there. The studies of Helen and her two siblings started here, but it was difficult to run the household with very little income from her mother. In Kolkata, Helen’s mother met Kuku More, a background dancer in films. Helen was hunting for a job to support her mother. Then Kuku got Helen a job as a chorus dancer in movies. Helen made her place in the industry as soon as she arrived.

Started her career at the age of 19

Helen got a big break in the film ‘Howrah Bridge’ when she was only 19 years old. The song ‘Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu’ from this film changed Helen’s fortunes. After this, Helen came out as the first “item girl” in Bollywood.

It is known that the actress not only excelled in Indian classical dance during her time but also brought cabaret dance to the peak of popularity in India. She used to make films hit on her own. The audience was so fond of Helen’s dancing that all the producers and directors would be desperate to include her in their films. As per reports, Helen was the one to introduce ballet dance to the industry.

Helen fell into a troubled marriage and then got divorced 

The actress, who was also known for her beauty apart from her dancing talent, had a very tough married life. In 1957, she got married to director PN Arora, 27 years her senior. Everything had just started getting better in life, and once again a mountain of sorrow broke down on Helen. This marriage broke up on Helen’s 35th birthday. 

Helen got divorced from her husband, PN Arora, after being troubled by his bad habit of extravagance. Helen used to earn well from her hard work in films, but her husband always took all the benefits. She had gone bankrupt due to his huge expenses and managed everything alone after the divorce.

Found love once again in Salim Khan

Helen fought the terrible battle of life all alone after divorcing her husband. In the year 1962, during the film “Kaabil Khan,” she met Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan. He fell in love with Helen at first sight but was already married, so his wife Salma Khan was against their love.

Despite this, Salim got married to Helen. After some resentment, Salma and her children accepted Helen. Today, Bollywood star Salman Khan gives the utmost respect to Helen.

Also Check: DID Lil Masters: Helen talks about item numbers in the industry

For more exciting and fresh updates on Television, OTT, Bollywood, and Hollywood, stay tuned to Cine Talkers. Also follow us on our social media pages including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Follow us on Google News