‘Helen, Salim Khan used to go on double dates with Mahesh Bhatt and me’: Soni Razdan

“We used to go to his house very often, and go to Helen’s house once in a while. I’m saying double dates, but that didn’t happen very often either. We were all very young. It was a different equation and a different time,” recalls the actor. So, when she had to bicker with Helen in Brown, there was already a connection. “It was lovely because she’s really, really funny. The scenes were written that way, but she just gave them that extra punch,” adds Soni.

Karisma Kapoor’s first memory of Helen

With Brown, Karisma Kapoor managed to finally work with Helen, after all her family members had already collaborated with her in the past. Her father Randhir Kapoor had shared screen space with Helen in Kachcha Chor (1977), while her mother, Babita Kapoor, worked with Helen in Dus Lakh (1966), Manmohan Desai’s 1968 romantic thriller Kismat, Ek Shriman Ek Shrimati (1969), and Kab? Kyoon? Aur Kahan? (1970).

Actress Helen on the set of Baazi. (Express archive photo)

“Being a dancer, growing up around dancers, and learning to dance meant watching her films and seeing her songs. My mother would tell me stories about what a perfect dancer she was. I clearly remember my mom telling me she’d come on set, just look at the assistant choreographer doing the step, and just do it bang on! I think that’s just an art,” recalls Karisma.

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Even Karisma Kapoor’s younger sister Kareena Kapoor had shared screen space with Helen in Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine (2012). Helen, 87 now, hadn’t faced the camera since that film. But after Brown director Abhinay Deo managed to convince her, she went back to set at the age of 83. While she’s 87 now, the show was shot four years ago in 2022. “Helen aunty is just amazing. Such a big fan of hers! Just having her on set at her grand age and being so active and involved, was just so inspiring,” adds Karisma.