Helen Ann Richardson Khan (née Richardson; born 21 November 1938), known mononymously as Helen, is an Indian actress and dancer. She has appeared in over 500 films, making her a prolific performer in

Hindi cinema Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

. In a career spanning 70 years, Helen has received two

Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Indian cinema.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were introduced by Filmfare magazine of The Times G ...

. She is often cited as one of the most popular

nautch The nautch (, meaning "dance" or "dancing" from Hindustani: "naach")Scott A. Kugle, 2016When Sun Meets Moon: Gender, Eros, and Ecstasy in Urdu Poetry p.230. was a popular court dance performed by girls (known as "nautch girls") in later Mug ...

and cabaret dancers of her time. In 2009, Helen was awarded with the

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

by the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

Early life and background

Helen Ann Richardson was born on 21 November 1938 in

Rangoon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

to an

Anglo-Indian Anglo-Indian people are a distinct minority group, minority community of mixed-race British and Indian ancestry. During the colonial period, their ancestry was defined as British paternal and Indian maternal heritage; post-independence, "Angl ...

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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The family then trekked to

Dibrugarh Dibrugarh () is a city in the Indian state of Assam, located 435 kms east of the state capital Dispur. It serves as the headquarters of the Dibrugarh district in Upper Assam. Dibrugarh also serves as the headquarters of the Sonowal Kach ...

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

in 1943 in order to escape from the

Japanese occupation of Burma The Japanese occupation of Burma was the period between 1942 and 1945 during World War II, when Burma was occupied by the Empire of Japan. The Japanese had assisted formation of the Burma Independence Army, and trained the Thirty Comrades, ...

. 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 Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...
, 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 The Howrah Bridge is a balanced steel bridge over the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. Commissioned in 1943, the bridge was originally named the New Howrah Bridge, because it replaced a pontoon bridge at the same location linking the both ...

''.

Career

Helen was introduced to

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

(Hindi cinema) when a family friend, an actress known as

Cuckoo Cuckoos are birds in the Cuculidae ( ) family, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes ( ). The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals, and anis. The coucals and anis are somet ...

, helped her find jobs as a group dancer in the films ''Shabistan'' (1951) and ''

Awaara ''Awaara'', also written ''Awāra'' and known overseas as ''The Vagabond'', is a 1951 Indian crime drama film, produced and directed by Raj Kapoor, and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. It stars Raj Kapoor along with his real-life father Prithv ...

'' (1951). She was soon working regularly and was featured as a solo dancer in films such as ''Alif Laila'' (1954) and ''Hoor-e-Arab'' (1955). She also featured as Street singer in film ''Mayurpankh'' (1954). She got her major break in 1958, aged 19, when she performed on the song "

Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu "Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu" () is a song from the 1958 Indian film ''Howrah Bridge''. It was sung by Geeta Dutt, and was picturised on Helen. The song has lyrics by Qamar Jalalabadi and was composed by O.P. Nayyar. The tune at the beginning of t ...

" in

Shakti Samanta Shakti Samanta (13 January 1926 – 9 April 2009) was an Indian film director and producer, who founded Shakti Films in 1957, which is most known for films such as ''Anand Ashram'' (1977), Anusandhan /''Barsaat Ki Ek Raat'' (1981), ''Anyay Abhi ...

's film, ''

'', which was sung by

Geeta Dutt Geeta Dutt (born Geeta Ghosh Roy Chowdhuri; 23 November 1930 – 20 July 1972) was an Indian Indian classical music, classical and playback singer. She found particular prominence as a playback singer in Hindi cinema and Bengali cinema (India) ...

. After that, offers started pouring in throughout the 1960s and 1970s. During her initial career,

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 Asha Bhosle (; ; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur, actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in the media as one of the ...

also frequently sang for Helen, particularly during the 1960s and the early 1970s. She was nominated for the

Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress The Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress is given by ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role. Although the Filmfare ...

in 1965 for her role as Kitty Kelly in . She played dramatic roles in films like ''China Town'' and ''

Sachaai ''Sachaai'' () is a 1969 Indian Bollywood film directed by K. Shankar and produced by M. C. Ramamurthy, nephew of M. G. Ramachandran. It stars Shammi Kapoor, Sadhana, Sanjeev Kumar in pivotal roles, with Pran, Johnny Walker, Helen in other ...

'' (1969) 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'' (1974) 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 ''Teesri Manzil'' () is a 1966 Indian musical mystery film directed by Vijay Anand and produced by Nasir Hussain. Released on 21 October 1966, the film stars Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh in titular roles and Helen, Premnath, Iftekhar a ...

'' (1966), 'Hai Pyar Ka Hi Naam' in ''Singapore'', and 'Muqabla Humse Na Karo' in ''Prince'' (1969). She performed onstage in London, Paris, and Hong Kong. In 1972, she appeared in the Kannada movie ''

Bhale Huchcha ''Bhale Huchcha'' () is a 1972 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Y. R. Swamy and produced by Gopal Lakshman. It stars Rajkumar and Aarathi. This film was dubbed into Telugu as ''Dasara Picchodu'' and released in 1973. This was the only ...

''. 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 The National Film Award for Best Book on Cinema is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of several awards ...

in 2007. Writer

Salim Khan Salim Abdul Rashid Khan (born 24 November 1935) is an Indian actor, film producer and screenwriter. He wrote the screenplays, stories and scripts for numerous Bollywood films. He is one half of the prolific screenwriting duo of Salim–Javed, ...

helped her get roles in some of the films he was co-scripting with

Javed Akhtar Javed Akhtar (born 1945) is an Indian screenwriter, lyricist and poet. Known for his work in Hindi cinema, he has won five National Film Awards, and received the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2007, two of India's highest civili ...

: '' Immaan Dharam'', ''

Don Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *Don (river), a river in European Russia *Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name * Don, Benin, a town in Benin * Don, Dang, a village and hill station in Dang district, Gu ...

'', '' Dostana'', and ''

Sholay ''Sholay'' (, ) is a 1975 Indian epic action-adventure film directed by Ramesh Sippy, produced by his father G. P. Sippy, and written by Salim–Javed. The film is about two criminals, Veeru (Dharmendra) and Jai (Amitabh Bachchan), hired ...

''. This was followed by a role in

Mahesh Bhatt Mahesh Bhatt (born 20 September 1948) is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter known for his works in Hindi cinema. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Mahesh Bhatt, a number of accolades, including four Nati ...

's film '' Lahu Ke Do Rang'' (1979), for which she won the

. In 1999, Helen was awarded the

Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, initially named Raj Kapoor Award for Lifetime Achievement after Raj Kapoor is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. List of honourees † - Indicates ...

. Helen officially retired from movies in 1983, but she has since then appeared in a few guest roles such as '' Khamoshi: The Musical'' (1996) and ''

Mohabbatein ''Mohabbatein'' () is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama film written and directed by Aditya Chopra, and produced by Yash Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films. The ensemble cast is led by Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan ...

'' (2000). She also made a special appearance as the mother of real-life step-son

Salman Khan Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan (; born 27 December 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who predominantly works in Hindi films. In a career spanning over three decades, his awards include two National Film Awa ...

's character in ''

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam ''Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam'', released internationally as ''Straight From the Heart'', is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama musical film directed, co-written, and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The film stars Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn ...

''. She also appeared in ''

Humko Deewana Kar Gaye ''Humko Deewana Kar Gaye'' (Indian English, translation: ''You Made Me Crazy in Love'') is a 2006 Indian Bollywood, Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Raj Kanwar, produced by Raj Kanwar, Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar and starring A ...

'' (2006). Helen was selected for the

awards of 2009 along with

Aishwarya Rai Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (; Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil language, Tamil films. Rai won the Miss World 1994 pageant and later established herself as one of the most-popu ...

and

Akshay Kumar Akshay Hari Om Bhatia (born Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia; 9 September 1967), known professionally as Akshay Kumar (), is an Indian actor and film producer working in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as "Khiladi Kumar", through his career span ...

. She appeared as a judge in the semifinals and finals of India's 2009 ''

Dancing Queen "Dancing Queen" is a song by the Swedish group ABBA, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, '' Arrival'' (1976). It was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson. Andersson and Ulvaeus also produced the ...

'' television series.

Personal life

Helen's first marriage was in 1957 to film director Prem Narayan Arora of ''

Dil Daulat Duniya ''Dil Daulat Duniya '' () is a 1972 Hindi-language comedy-drama film, directed by Prem Narayan Arora and starring Rajesh Khanna, Sadhana, Ashok Kumar, Om Prakash, Sulochana, Helen and Jagdeep. The film revolves around a poor man in a palatial ...

'' fame, who was 27 years older than her. She divorced him in 1974. In 1981, Helen married

, 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 (along with Khan and his first wife Salma) 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 A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1951, as background dancer) * ''

Shabistan A shabestan or shabistan (; is an underground space that can be usually found in traditional architecture of mosques, houses, and schools in ancient Iran. These spaces were usually used during summers and could be ventilated by windcatchers and ...

'' (1951, as background dancer) * ''Alif Laila'' (1953, as background dancer) * '' Mayurpankh''(1954,as street dancer) * '' Santosham'' (1955, Telugu) * '' Halaku'' (1956) * '' Mr. Lambu'' (1956) * ''

Yahudi Ki Ladki ''Yahudi Ki Ladki'' (The Jew's Daughter) is a historical Urdu play by Agha Hashar Kashmiri, on the theme of persecution of Jews by the Romans. It was first published in 1913. The play became his best known work, and a classic in Parsi-Urdu theat ...

'' (1957) * ''

Dongallo Dora ''Dongallo Dora'' () is a 1957 Indian Telugu-language action film, produced by D. L. Narayana under the Chandamama Films banner and directed by P. Chengayya. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Jamuna, with music composed by M. Subrahmanyam Raj ...

'' (1957, Telugu) * ''

Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi ''Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi'' () is a 1 January 1958 Indian musical comedy film directed by Satyen Bose. Starring Madhubala with the Ganguly brothers —Ashok Kumar, Anoop Kumar, and Kishore Kumar— the film revolves around a middle-aged man wh ...

'' (1958) * ''

Yahudi ''Yahudi'' () is a 1958 Hindi-language epic romantic historical drama film directed by Bimal Roy. It stars Dilip Kumar, Meena Kumari, Sohrab Modi, Nazir Hussain, Nigar Sultana among others. It is based on the play '' Yahudi Ki Ladki'' by ...

'' (1958) * '' Bhookailas'' (1958, Telugu) * '' Uthama Puthiran'' (1958, Tamil) * ''

Sawan Sāwaṇ or Sāuṇ (Shahmukhi: ; Gurmukhi: , ) is the fifth month in the Punjabi calendar and the Nanakshahi calendar. Many Indian calendars started in different eras such as Shaka Calendar (national calendar of India) traditional Vikrama a ...

'' (1959) * '' Anari'' (1959) * '' Hum Hindustani'' (1960) * '' Abdulla'' (1960) * ''

Return of Mr. Superman Return may refer to: In business, economics, and finance * Return on investment (ROI), the financial gain after an expense. * Rate of return, the financial term for the profit or loss derived from an investment * Tax return, a blank document or t ...

'' (1960) * '' Ek Phool Char Kante'' (1960) * '' Bahana'' (1960) * ''

Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai ''Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai'' () is a 1960 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film, produced by S. A. Bagar. It was written and directed by Kishore Sahu. The film stars Raaj Kumar, Meena Kumari and Nadira as leads. The film tells the story of a ...

'' (1960) * ''

Baghdad Thirudan ''Baghdad Thirudan'' () is a 1960 Indian Tamil-language swashbuckler film produced and directed by T. P. Sundaram. The film stars M. G. Ramachandran and Vyjayanthimala, with M. N. Nambiar, T. S. Balaiah, T. R. Ramachandran, S. A. Ashokan, M ...

'' (1960) (

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

film) * ''

Gunga Jumna ''Ganga Jamna'' (ISO 15919: ''Gaṅgā Jamunā''), also transliterated as ''Ganga Jamuna'' or ''Gunga Jumna'', is a 1961 Indian crime drama film, written and produced by Dilip Kumar, and directed by Nitin Bose, with dialogues written by Wajahat ...

'' (1961) * ''

Umar Qaid ''Umar Qaid'' () is a 1975 Hindi-language action film, produced by V.K.Sobti under the Gautam Pictures banner and directed by Sikandar Khanna. Starring Sunil Dutt, Jeetendra, Vinod Mehra, Moushumi Chatterjee, Reena Roy and music composed by So ...

'' (1961) * '' Mr. India'' (1961) * ''

Sampoorna Ramayana ''Sampoorna Ramayana'' () is a 1961 Indian Hindi-language Hindu mythological film directed by Babubhai Mistry, based on the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' by Valmiki, starring Mahipal and Anita Guha as Rama and Sita respectively. The film was a box ...

'' (1961) * '' Half Ticket'' (1962) * ''Bombay Ka Chor'' (1962) * ''

China Town Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...

'' (1962) * ''Sunheri Nagin'' (1963) * ''

Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo ''Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo'' () is a Bhojpuri film released in 1963 directed by Kundan Kumar. It was the first-ever Bhojpuri film, and starred Kumkum, Ashim Kumar and Nazir Hussain. It had music by Chitragupta, lyrics by Shailendra ...

'' (1963) (

Bhojpuri Bhojpuri may refer to: * Bhojpuri language, an Indo-Aryan language of India and Nepal * Bhojpuri grammar, grammatical rules of the language * Bhojpuri nouns, nouns of the language * Bhojpuri people, people who speak the language * Bhojpuri region ...

Film) * '' Bidesiya'' (1963) (

Film) * '' Shikari'' (1963) * '' Mulzim'' (1963) * ''Taj Mahal'' (1963) * ''Aaya Toofan'' (1964) * '' Cha Cha Cha'' (1964) * ''

Woh Kaun Thi? ''Woh Kaun Thi?'' () is a 1964 Indian Hindi-language mystery thriller film directed by Raj Khosla, starring Sadhana, Manoj Kumar and Prem Chopra. Though the screenplay was written by Dhruva Chatterjee, parts were later rewritten, wherein Manoj Ku ...

'' (1964) * '' Zindagi'' (1964) * ''Mohabbat Isko Kahete Hain'' (1965) * ''Faisla'' (1965) * ''

Gumnaam ''Gumnaam'' (translation: ''Anonymous'') is a 1965 Indian Hindi-language mystery film directed by Raja Nawathe and produced by N. N. Sippy. The film was released in India on 24 December 1965 and stars an ensemble cast of Manoj Kumar, Nanda ...

'' (1965) * ''

Khandan Khandan or Khandaan may refer to: * Khandan Rural District, rural district in Iran * ''Khandaan'' (1942 film), an Indian film * ''Khandan'' (1965 film), an Indian Hindi-language film * ''Khandaan'' (1979 film), an Indian Hindi-language drama fi ...

'' (1965) * ''

Kaajal ''Kaajal'' ( ''Kohl'') is a 1965 Bollywood romance drama film produced by Pannalal Maheshwari and directed by Ram Maheshwari. The film stars Meena Kumari, Raaj Kumar, Dharmendra, Padmini, Mumtaz, Mehmood, Durga Khote, and Helen. The soundtrack ...

'' (1965) * ''Love and Murder'' (1966) * '' Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi'' (1966) * ''

'' (1966) * ''

Dus Lakh Dus Lakh (English: Ten Lakhs or One Million) is a 1966 Indian Hindi-language comedy film. It was produced and directed by Devendra Goel. Music was composed by Ravi. The star cast included Sanjay Khan, Babita, Helen, Pran, Om Prakash, Manoram ...

'' (1966) * '' Chaddian Di Doli'' (1966) unjabi film* ''Bahu Begum'' (1967) * '' C.I.D. 909'' (1967) * ''

Hare Kanch Ki Chooriyan ''Hare Kanch Ki Chooriyan'' (Green Glass Bangles) is a List of Bollywood films of 1967, 1967 Hindi, social family drama film, produced and directed by Kishore Sahu. The story, screenplay and dialogue were written by Kishore Sahu. Shankar Jaikish ...

'' (1967) * '' Jaal'' (1967) * '' Jewel Thief'' (1967) * '' Shikar'' (1968) * ''Talaash'' (1969) * ''

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

'' (1969) * ''

Bikhre Moti ''Bikhre Moti'' () is a 1971 Indian Hindi-language drama film, produced by Omi Arora under the Gita Shree Films banner and directed by Tapi Chanakya. It stars Jeetendra and Babita, and the music was composed by Laxmikant–Pyarelal. Plot Jee ...

'' (1969) * ''Bhai Bahen'' (1969) * ''

Inteqam ''Inteqam'' ( "Revenge") is an Indian action film directed by Rajkumar Kohli and released in 1988. It stars Sunny Deol, Anil Kapoor, Meenakshi Sheshadri, Kimi Katkar in lead roles. Plot The life of Birju is turned upside down when his sister ...

'' (1969) * ''

Aansoo Ban Gaye Phool ''Aansoo Ban Gaye Phool'' () is a 1969 Hindi movie directed by Satyen Bose. The film stars Ashok Kumar, Nirupa Roy, Pran, Helen, Deb Mukherjee and Alka in lead roles. The music is by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Penned by Taj Bhopali and Govind Mun ...

'' (1969) * '' Pyar Ka Sapna'' (1969) * ''

Pagla Kahin Ka ''Pagla Kahin Ka'' (''Such a Fool'') is a 1970 Indian Hindi-language romance film directed by Shakti Samanta. It stars Shammi Kapoor, Asha Parekh, Helen and Prem Chopra, all of whom had earlier starred in the huge hit Teesri Manzil (1966). The fi ...

'' (1970) * '' The Train'' (1970) * '' Tum Haseen Main Jawaan'' (1970) * '' Bombay Talkie'' (1970) * '' Puraskar'' (1970) * ''

Caravan Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Campervan, a type of vehicle also known as a motor caravan *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Caravan (trail ...

'' (1971) * '' Hulchul'' (1971) * ''

Hungama Hungama may refer to: * ''Hungama'' (1971 film), a Bollywood comedy film * ''Hungama'' (2003 film), a Bollywood comedy by Priyadarshan * ''Hungama'' (2005 film), a Telugu comedy film * Hungama TV, an Indian children's television channel * Hunga ...

'' (1971) * '' Adhikar'' (1971) * ''

Upaasna ''Upaasna'' (transl. Devotion) is a 1971 Bollywood drama film directed by Mohan. The film stars Sanjay Khan Sanjay Khan (born as Shah Abbas Ali Khan, 3 January 1940) is an Indian actor, producer and director known for his works in Hindi fi ...

'' (1971) * '' Man Mandir'' (1971) * '' Parwana'' (1971) * ''

Sange Muzhangu ''Sange Muzhangu'' () is a 1972 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by P. Neelakantan, starring M. G. Ramachandran, with S. A. Ashokan, Lakshmi, and Cho Ramaswamy. Kamal Haasan Parthasarathy Srinivasan (born 7 November 195 ...

'' (1972, Tamil film) * '' Mere Jeevan Saathi'' (1972) * ''Doctor X'' (1972) * ''

Rakhi Aur Hathkadi ''Rakhi Aur Hathkadi'' is a Hindi film that was released in 1972. It was directed by S. M. Sagar. It stars Ashok Kumar, Asha Parekh in a dual role, Vijay Arora, Danny Denzongpa, Kabir Bedi, and Helen. Music is by R.D. Burman. Lyrics are by Majro ...

'' (1972) * ''

Apradh ''Apradh'' () is a 1972 action thriller romance Hindi film produced and directed by Feroz Khan. It was Feroz Khan's debut as a producer and a director. The film stars Feroz Khan, Mumtaz, Prem Chopra, Iftekhar, Helen, Faryal and Madan Puri ...

'' (1972) * ''

'' (1972, Kannada) * ''

Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche ''Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche'' () is a 1972 Hindi horror film directed by Tulsi Ramsay and Shyam Ramsay. This film was released on 30 December 1972 under the banner of Ramsay Films. Plot Rajvansh, a rich widower and young scientist rescues a wom ...

'' (1972) * ''

Dharkan ''Dharkan'' is a 1972 Indian film directed by Devendra Goel. The movie stars Sanjay Khan, Mumtaz, Rajendra Nath, Helen, Alankar Joshi, Roopesh Kumar and Bindu (in a cameo role). It was produced and directed by Devendra Goyal, and the music w ...

'' (1972) * '' Heera'' (1973) * '' Anamika'' (1973) * ''

Aaj Ki Taaza Khabar ('')'' is a 1973 Indian comedy film directed by Rajendra Bhatia. Its stars Kiran Kumar and Radha Saluja. This film was adapted from a Gujarati play and later remade in Marathi as '' Pheka Pheki'' (1989) and in Hindi as ''Golmaal Returns'' ( ...

'' (1973) * '' Chhote Sarkaar'' (1974) * ''

Geetaa Mera Naam ''Geeta Mera Naam'' () is a 1974 Indian Hindi-language produced by R. K. Nayyar. His wife Sadhana starred in a dual role and also directed the film. The film also features Sunil Dutt, Feroz Khan and Helen. The music is by Laxmikant-Pyarel ...

'' (1974) * '' Benaam'' (1974) * '' Madhosh'' (1974) * ''

'' (1975) * ''

Zakhmee ''Zakhmee'' is a 1975 Hindi movie. Produced by Tahir Hussain, the film was directed by Raja Thakur. It stars Sunil Dutt, Asha Parekh, Rakesh Roshan, Reena Roy, Tariq, Helen, Johnny Walker, Agha, Iftekhar in pivotal roles. The music was compos ...

'' (1975) * ''

Kaala Sona ''Kaala Sona'' () is a 1975 Hindi-language curry Western film produced by Harish Shah and Vinod Shah and directed by Ravikant Nagaich. The film stars Feroz Khan, Parveen Babi, Prem Chopra, Farida Jalal, Danny Denzongpa, Helen, Durga Kho ...

'' (1975) * '' Saazish'' (1975) * ''

Aaj Ka Ye Ghar is a 1976 Bollywood film directed by Surendra Shailaj. The film stars Helen (actress), Helen. Cast *Shriram Lagoo - Sajjan *Jaymala *Romesh Sharma - Vijay *Helen (actress), Helen - Miss Ruhi *A. K. Hangal - Dinanath *Lalita Pawar - Mrs. Shant ...

'' (1976) * ''

Bairaag ''Bairaag'' () is a 1976 Hindi-language film. Produced by the duo Mushir-Riaz, it is directed by Asit Sen. The film stars Dilip Kumar, who received a Filmfare nomination for Best Actor for playing a triple role. ''Bairaag'' also stars Saira ...

'' (1976) * ''

Ginny Aur Johnny ''Ginny Aur Johnny'' () is a 1976 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film. Produced by Amarlal Chabria and directed by Mehmood the film stars Mehmood, Amjad Khan, Helen, Rajesh Khanna, Hema Malini, Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Vinod Mehra, Nu ...

'' (1976) * '' Raees'' (1976) * '' Immaan Dharam'' (1977) * '' Inkaar'' (1977) * ''

Khoon Pasina ''Khoon Pasina'' (, ''Blood and Sweat'') is a 1977 Hindi action crime film. The movie is produced by Baboo Mehra and directed by Rakesh Kumar. The movie stars Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Rekha, Nirupa Roy, Asrani, Aruna Irani, Bharat Bhu ...

'' (1977) * ''

Amar Akbar Anthony ''Amar Akbar Anthony'' is a 1977 Indian Hindi-language masala film directed and produced by Manmohan Desai and written by Kader Khan. Released in India on 27 May 1977, the film stars an ensemble cast of Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, Amitabh Bac ...

'' (1977) * ''

Chala Murari Hero Banne ''Chala Murari Hero Banne'' () is a 1977 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by and starring Asrani, Bindiya Goswami and Ashok Kumar in lead roles. Plot Murari dreams of becoming an actor, but his Dad ( A.K. Hangal), who runs a cloth sh ...

'' (1977) * ''

'' (1978) * ''

Besharam Besharam () may refer to: * Besharam (1978 film), an Indian Hindi-language drama-thriller film by Deven Verma, starring Verma, Amitabh Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore and Amjad Khan * Besharam (2013 film) ''Besharam'' (English: Shameless) is a 2013 ...

'' (1978) * '' Swarag Narak'' (1978) * ''

Phandebaaz ''Phandebaaz'' is a 1978 Bollywood Action comedy film, action comedy romantic film directed by Samir Ganguly, and starring Dharmendra, Moushumi Chatterjee and Prem Chopra. Originally, Leena Chandavarkar was to play the female lead but she was un ...

'' (1978) * '' Lahu Ke Do Rang'' (1979) * ''

The Great Gambler ''The Great Gambler'' is a 1979 Indian crime action film directed by Shakti Samanta. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, and Neetu Singh. It was based on the Bengali novel ''Great Gambler'' by Vikramaditya. The film's story is ba ...

'' (1979) * ''

Hema Hemeelu ''Hema Hemeelu'' () is a 1979 Indian Telugu-language action film directed by Vijaya Nirmala. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Krishna, Vijaya Nirmala and Zarina Wahab, with music composed by Ramesh Naidu. It was produced by S. Raghunath ...

'' (1979, Telugu) * ''

Allauddinum Albhutha Vilakkum ''Allauddinum Albhutha Vilakkum'' () is a 1979 Indian fantasy film directed by I. V. Sasi, based on Aladdin's story from ''One Thousand and One Nights''. The film stars Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Jayabharathi and Sripriya, with Gemini Ganesan ...

'' (1979, Tamil-Malayalam) * ''

Billa Billa may refer to: Films * ''Billa'' (1980 film), 1980 Indian Tamil film starring Rajinikanth * ''Billa'' (2007 film), 2007 Indian Tamil film starring Ajith Kumar, remake of ''Billa'' (1980) ** ''Billa'' (soundtrack), soundtrack by Yuvan Shan ...

'' (1980, Tamil) * ''

Abdullah Abdullah may refer to: * Abdullah (name), a list of people with the given name or surname * Abdullah, Kargı, Turkey, a village * ''Abdullah'' (film), a 1980 Bollywood film directed by Sanjay Khan * '' Abdullah: The Final Witness'', a 2015 Pakis ...

'' (1980) * '' Dostana'' (1980) * '' Ram Balram'' (1980) * '' Shaan'' (1980) * ''

Bulundi ''Bulundi'' is a 1981 Hindi-language crime, thriller and drama film starring Raaj Kumar, Asha Parekh, Danny Denzongpa, Kim in pivotal roles. It was directed by Esmayeel Shroff and its music was composed by R. D. Burman. The film was declared a ...

'' (1981) * ''Josh'' (1981) * '' Heeron Ka Chor'' (1982) * '' Sawaal'' (1982) * ''Aladin dan Lampu Wasiat'' (1982, Indonesian Movie) * ''

Haadsa ''Haadsaa'' () is a 1983 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed and produced by Akbar Khan. The film stars Khan, Ranjeeta, Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, Amrish Puri as main characters. The music was composed by Kalyanji-Anandji. ...

'' (1983) * '' Bond 303'' (1985) * ''

Akayla ''Akayla'' () is a 1991 Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Ramesh Sippy and produced by the Mushir - Riaz duo. It featured an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Jackie Shroff, Amrita Singh, Meenakshi Sheshadri, Aditya Pancholi, Kir ...

'' (1991) * '' Khamoshi: The Musical'' (1996) * '' Saazish'' (1998) * ''

'' (1999) * ''

'' (2000) * '' Shararat'' (2002) * ''

Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa ''Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa'' () is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film starring Salman Khan, Preity Zinta, Bhumika Chawla, Delnaaz Paul, Riya Sen and Helen. It is an unofficial adaptation of the American film ''Return to Me'' (20 ...

'' (2004) * '' Anjaane: The Unknown'' (2005) * ''

'' (2006) * '' Marigold'' (2007) * '' Dunno Y... Na Jaane Kyon'' (2010) * ''One Room Kitchen'' (2011) (

Marathi film Marathi cinema is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Marathi language, which is widely spoken in the state of Maharashtra. It is based out of Mumbai. It is the oldest film industry in India an ...

) * ''

Jodi Breakers ''Jodi Breakers'' () is a 2012 Hindi language Indian romantic comedy film directed by Ashwini Chaudhary. The film features R. Madhavan and Bipasha Basu in the leading roles with Milind Soman, Dipannita Sharma, Omi Vaidya and Mrinalini Sharma i ...

'' (2012) * ''

Heroine A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...

'' (2012) * ''Pagli Shaadi Go Dadi'' (2021)

Awards and honors

* Nominated –

– ''

'' (1966) * Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – '' Shikaar'' (1969) * Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – '' Elaan'' (1972) * Won – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – '' Lahu Ke Do Rang'' (1980) * Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – '' Khamoshi: The Musical'' (1997) *

(1999) *

, a civilian honour from the Indian government (2009) *

Raj Kapoor Award The Raj Kapoor Award is the highest lifetime achievement award in Hindi cinema, established by the Government of Maharashtra, India. It is presented annually by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Maharashtra. Award instituted in 1998 to recogn ...

(2022)

In popular culture

* In

Aditya Chopra Aditya Chopra (born 21 May 1971) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and studio executive who works in Hindi cinema. He is the Chairman of India's multi-national film, media, and entertainment conglomerate Yash Raj Films (YRF).

's 2008 film ''

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi ''Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi'' (), also known by its initialism as ''RNBDJ'', is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Aditya Chopra. It was produced by his father Yash Chopra under their production banner of Yash R ...

''s song " Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte",

Lara Dutta Lara Dutta Bhupathi ( Dutta; born 16 April 1978) is an Indian actress. She won the Miss Universe 2000, and has since predominantly worked in Hindi films and series. Dutta is a recipient of a Filmfare Awards, Filmfare Award and established hers ...

dressed herself as Helen, as a tribute to her look in ''

''s song "O Haseena Zulfonwali Jane Jahan".

References

Sources

External links

* *
Rediff profile
rediff.com. Retrieved 11 December 2014.

Retrieved 11 December 2014.
Dancing queen of Bombay cinema
tribuneindia.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Helen (Actress) Indian film actresses Indian television actresses 1938 births Living people Filmfare Awards winners Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award winners Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Actresses in Hindi cinema Actresses from Mumbai Anglo-Burmese people Anglo-Indian people Burmese emigrants to India Indian people of Anglo-Burmese descent 20th-century Indian actresses 21st-century Indian actresses Indian Christians Family of Salim Khan Actresses from Yangon Actresses in Malayalam cinema Actresses in Tamil cinema Actresses in Kannada cinema Actresses in Telugu cinema

Early life and background

Career

Personal life

Selected filmography

Awards and honors

In popular culture

See also

References

Sources

External links