Helen (actress)
Helen Jairag Richardson (born October 21, 1939 in Burma ) is an Indian actress and former dancer in Bollywood films . In the 1950s and 1960s in particular, she played and danced in femme fatale roles with a markedly erotic charisma.
Life
She was born to a British and a Burmese daughter. During the Second World War , her family fled the Japanese invaders to India. Helen learned the classical Indian dance Kathak . Her mother's income as a nurse was low, and Helen left school at around 13 to make a living as a dancer. In 1951 she appeared as a group dancer in Raj Kapoor's Awaara , and from the following year she played regularly in Bollywood films. She had her first solo dance appearances in Alif Laila (1952) and Hoor-e-Arab (1953). With her dance to the song Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu in the film Howrah Bridge (1958) she became a star with the audience. Performances as a cabaret dancer and femme fatale followed . During the 1960s she was the most famous actress of the genre.
Helen developed the Bollywood dance, which emerged from classical Indian dance, incorporating Western elements into modern forms, which, in addition to its Anglo-Burmese exoticism, may have been another reason for its popularity. She often wore skin-colored, tight-fitting clothing that gave the impression that she was showing a lot of skin. The vocal parts of her dance numbers were often taken over by the playback singer Asha Bhosle .
Her careers stalled in the 1970s when younger actresses took on play and dance scenes at the same time. The screenwriter Salim Khan , whose second wife she later became, helped her to actress roles in Imaam Dharam (1977), Don (1978, with Amitabh Bachchan ) and Dostana (1980). For her supporting role in Mahesh Bhatt's film Lahu Ke Do Rang (1979), she finally received the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress . She later retired from the film business, but had guest appearances in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Mohabbatein (2000), Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha - What the Heart Calls Its Own (2004) and Humko Deewana Kar Gaye (2006) . Helen received the 1998 Filmfare Award for Lifetime Achievement . She is the stepmother of actors Arbaaz, Sohail and Salman Khan .
Filmography (selection)
- 1962: Half Ticket
- 1978: Don
Web links
- Helen in the Internet Movie Database (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Helen |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Jairag Richardson, Helen (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Indian actress and former dancer in Bollywood films |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 21, 1939 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Burma |