Sholay actor’s father was killed in the World War 2, she walked 900 kms to escape same fate; mother had a miscarriage and brother died of smallpox

She fled from her country to escape Japanese occupation, taking the help of British officers on the way. Her brother died shortly after the trip, and she had to quit school in order to help her family survive.

Film star Helen in film ROAD NO. 303. (Photo: Express Archive)

Helen Ann Richardson wasn’t necessarily born to become the most recognisable cabaret dancer of Bollywood; rather, a series of events and life-altering episodes brought her to Bollywood’s door. The actor was born to an Anglo-Indian father and a Burmese mother. One of three children, Helen had experienced tragedy very early in her life, when her father was killed during World War 2. The family decided to pack up their belongings and flee the country, a trip that would change their lives forever.

In 1964, Helen recalled the arduous journey in an interview with Filmfare, and said, “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, treated our blistered feet and bruised bodies and fed us.” Helen’s family was part of a larger group, and their goal was to reach Dibrugarh in Assam, which was roughly 900 km away. She said in the same interview that by the time they reached Assam, their group “had been reduced to half, as some had fallen ill and were left behind, while some died of starvation, and my mother had a miscarriage.” During a conversation with her stepson Arbaaz Khan on Bollywood Bubble, Helen recalled how, “About 300-350 people migrated. In my family, there was my mother, my little brother, and me. We were both little, and my mother was pregnant, too. And she lost my little sister there.”

Film star Dev Anand and Helen in film Shareef Badmaash. Express archive photo

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Upon reaching Assam, the entire family was hospitalised, and they shifted to Kolkata right after their recovery. Helen’s brother, who was in critical condition when he reached India, contracted smallpox and died shortly after. Soon they moved to Mumbai, but the city proved too much from a financial point of view, and Helen’s mother was struggling to manage the expenses of the family. Enter another famed Bollywood actor/dancer, Cuckoo, who happened to be a family friend and decided to lend a hand. In an interview with SantaBanta.com, the actor recalled the nascent stage of her career and said, “After being a chorus girl in many films, I finally landed solo dance numbers in Alif Laila (1953) and Hoor-e-Arab (1955.)” But the turning point came with the ‘Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo’ number in Shakti Samanta’s Howrah Bridge in 1958. OP Nayyar’s brilliant music gave the song the zing that it demanded.” Notably, Helen was just 19 when she had to abandon her education and help her mother take care of the house.

Shammi Kapoor and Helen. Express archive photo Helen

Helen and Johnny Walker in film Ustadon Ke Ustad. Express archive photo

She shot to fame after that performance, and everyone took notice of the talent and panache she possessed. Geeta Dutt and Helen became frequent collaborators, and the singer voiced the dancer on several notable occasions. Even though Helen was climbing the ladder to success, she was bogged down with the same roles, where she would often step aside for the female lead. Her acting prowess shone through in films like Gumnaam (1965), China Town (1969), and Sachaai (1969), and she even got nominated for a Filmfare for the former. With the help of Salim Khan, whom Helen married in 1981, she bagged some more influential roles in films like Don, Sholay, and Dostana. Her appearance Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay, is one of the most recognisable music sequences in the history of Bollywood, in which she dances effortlessly along with RD Burman’s grunt filled vocals, while the cunning and disoriented villain Gabbar looks on.

Shammi Kapoor and Helen in film SACHCHAI. Express archive photo

Even though Helen had a successful career, she never forgot where she came from and often talked about the difficulties her mother faced while trying to save herself and her children. Helen’s riveting story has been documented quite well, especially in the 1973 documentary Helen, The Queen of the Nautch Girls, and the 2006 book by Jerry Pinto titled Helen: The Life and the Times of an H-Bomb. She has more than 500 film credited to her name, and has a career spanning almost 70 years. Her last appearance in a film was in the Madhur Bhandarkar directorial Heroine (2015), alongside Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Shahana Goswami, and Divya Dutta.

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