Helen (actress) Information & Helen (actress) Links at HealthHaven.com

Helen Khan
Helen Khan
Born	Helen Richardson; October 21, 1939 (age 70); Burma
Occupation	actor, dancer
Years active	1950 - present
Spouse(s)	Salim Khan 1980 - present

For the English field hockey player with the same name see Helen Richardson (field hockey).

Helen Jairag Richardson Khan (born 21 October 1939 in Burma) is a Hindi film actress and dancer.^[1]

[edit] Early life and background

Born Helen Richardson in Burma to Indian parents on 21 October 1939,^[2] she has a brother Roger and a sister Jennifer. Her father died during the Second World War. The family migrated to Mumbai in 1943 during World War II, but her mother's salary as a nurse was not enough, and Helen had to quit her schooling to support the family.^[3]

[edit] Career

Helen got her break when a family friend, an actress known as Cukoo, helped her find jobs as a chorus dancer in the films Shabistan and Awaara (1951). She was soon working regularly and was featured as a solo dancer in films such as Alif Laila (1952), Hoor-e-Arab (1953), and number "Mr. John O Baba Khan" in the film Baarish.

In 1958, she performed in the song "Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu" in Shakti Samanta's film, Howrah Bridge, which was sung by Geeta Dutt. The Bollywood playback singer Asha Bhosle frequently sang for Helen, particularly during the 60s. During her initial career Geeta Dutt sang many songs for her.^[4]^{[unreliable source?]}

She won nomination for the best supporting actress in 1965 for the movie Gumnaam. She played dramatic roles such as the rape victim in Shakti Samanta's Pagla Kahin Ka (1970).

Writer Salim Khan helped her get roles in some of the movies he was co-scripting with Javed Akhtar: Imaam Dharam, Don, Dostana, and Sholay. This was followed by a role in Mahesh Bhatt's film Lahu Ke Do Rang (1979), for which she won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award.

Helen retired from the screen for a number of years, but made a few guest roles in 1999 and 2000. In Mohabbatein, she plays the prim and proper head of a girls' school who is pulled out onto a dance floor and surprises everyone with her lively dancing. She also made a special appearance as Salman Khan's mother in the movie Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Helen was selected for the Padma Shri awards of 2009 along with Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar.

[edit] Non-acting career

She also performed numerous stage shows in London, Paris, and Hong Kong.

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 ^[2], which went on to win the National Film Award for Best Book on Cinema in 2007.

[edit] Personal life

Helen married Salim Khan, and become his second wife, in 1980. They adopted a girl, Arpita. Indian film actor Salman Khan is her step son and she has acted as his mother in film Hum dil de Chuke Sanam, as grand mother-in-law in " Khamoshi- the Musical " & "Dil ne jise apna kaha" and as his grandmother in film Marigold.

[edit] Selected filmography

Awaara (1951)
Alif Laila (1952)
Hoor-e-Arab (1953)
Miss Coca Cola (1955)
Taksaal (1956)
Changez Khan (1957)
Howrah Bridge (1958)
Twelve O'Clock (1958)
Yahudi (1958)
Sawan (1959)
Hum Hindustani (1960)
Ek Phool char kante (1960)
Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (1960)
Gunga Jamuna (1961)
Umar Qaid (1961)
China Town (1962)
Sunehri Nagin (1963)
Aaya Toofan (1964)
Cha Cha Cha (1964)
Woh Kaun Thi? (1964)
Gumnaam (1965)
Lutera (1965)
Khandan (1965)
Kaajal (1965)
Aulad (1965)
Teesri Manzil (1966)
Dus Lakh (1966)
Night In London (1967)
Jaal (1967)
CID 909(1967)
Jewel Thief(1967)
Hare Kanch Ki Chooriyan(1967)
Shikaar(1968)
Vaasna(1968)
Talash (1969)
Sachchai (1969)
Ek Shriman Ek Shrimathi (1969)
Prince (1969)
Bikhre Moti (1969)
Bhai Bahen (1969)
Intequam (1969)
Ansoo ban gaye phool (1969)
Pagla Kahin Ka (1970)
The Train (1970)
Bombay Talkie (1970)
Puraskar (1970)
Caravan (1971)
Nadaan (1971)
Hulchul (1971)
Hungama (1971)
Yaar mera (1971)
Upaasna (1971)
Mere Jeevan Saathi (1972)
Rakhi aur Hathkadi (1972)
Dil Daulat Duniya (1972)
Apradh (1972)
Dharkhan (1972)
Anamika (1973)
Shareef Badmash (1973)
Aaj ki Taaza Khabar (1973)
Geeta Mera Naam (1974)
Benaam (1974)
Madhosh (1974)
Sholay (1975)
Andhera (1975)
Zakhmee (1975)
Kaala Sona (1975)
Saazish (1975)
Bairaag (1976)
Imaan Dharam (1977)
Inkaar (1977)
Khoon Pasina (1977)
Amar Akbar Anthony (1977)
Chala Murari Hero Ban Ne (1977)
Don (1978)
Be sharam (1978)
Swarg Narak (1978)
Phandebaaz (1978)
Bandi (1978)
Lahu Ke Do Rang (1979)
The Great Gambler (1979)
Ram Balram (1980)
Shaan (1980)
Abdullah (1980)
Bombay 405 miles (1980)
Chhupa chhupee (1981)
Bulandi (1981)
Raaz (1981)
Sawaal (1982)
Bond 303 (1986)
Parchhayeen (1989)
Akayla (1991)
Khamoshi: The Musical (1996)
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)
Mohabbatein (2000)
Shararat (2002)
Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa (2004)
Anjaane: The Unknown (2006)
Humko Deewana Kar Gaye (2006)
Marigold (2007 film) (2007)
Complete Filmography

[edit] Awards and nominations

Padma Shri, a civilian honour from the Indian government.(2009)
Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Gumnaam (1965)
Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Shikar (1968)
Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Elan (1971)
Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for Lahu Ke Do Rang (1979)
Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Khamoshi: The Musical (1996)
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (1998)^[5]

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

Pinto, Jerry. Helen; The Life and Times of An H-Bomb. New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 2006. ISBN 0143031244.

[edit] External links

[0] ttp://www.iloveindia.com/bollywood/actresses/helen.html

[des-1] ‘Helen: The Life and the Times of an H-Bomb’

[2] I've no problems with the item no.: Helen Richardson : Star Talk

[3] Geeta Dutt songs for Helen

[4] 1st Filmfare Awards 1953

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