Biography of Helen

(November 21, 1939)

Helen came to epitomise the vamp. The fact that she did not exactly look Indian, being of half French and half Indo-Burmese origin, worked in her favour. She was a good dancer. Asha Bhonsle's silken voice and Helen's bewitching persona became the winning formula in that era. Her dance epitomised her spirit - bold and athletic, decidedly western with the rhythm of a gymnast. She cast such a spell over moviegoers that rarely was a film written without a role and a few songs for her.

She dominated the 1960's. Helen shot to fame with the number Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo' (Howrah Bridge). Some of her other famous numbers are 'Piya Tu Ab to Aaja' (Caravan) 'Aa Jaan-E-Jaan’ (Inteqam), O Haseena Zulfon Wali (Teesri Manzil), and so on. Such numbers kept coming year after year and ensured the presence of such popular numbers for a long time to come. She made a dramatic appearance in "Khamoshi' as an elderly lady after disappearing from the screen for a long time.