Helen (actress)

Helen
Helen in 2019
Born
Helen Ann Richardson

(1938-11-21) 21 November 1938 (age 85)
Rangoon, British Burma
(present-day Yangon, Myanmar)
NationalityBritish Burmese (1938–1946)
British Indian (1946–1947)
Anglo-Indian (1947–1957)
Indian (1957–present)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • dancer
Years active1951–present
Spouses
Prem Narayan Arora
​
​
(m. 1957; div. 1974)​
​
(m. 1981)​
AwardsFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
HonoursPadma Shri (2009)

Helen Ann Richardson Khan (née Richardson; born 21 November 1938), known mononymously as Helen, is an Indian actress and dancer. She has appeared in over 1000 films,[1] making her a prolific performer in Hindi cinema. She is known for her supporting, character roles and guest appearances in a career spanning 70 years.

Helen has received two Filmfare Awards,[1] and is often cited as one of the most popular nautch and caberet dancers of her time.[2] In 2009, Helen was awarded with the Padma Shri by the Government of India.[3] She was the inspiration for four films and a book.[4]

  1. ^ a b Jerry Pinto (1 March 2006). Helen: The Life and Times of an H-Bomb. Penguin Books India. ISBN 978-0-14-303124-6. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  2. ^ Mukherjee, Madhurita (3 February 2003). "Revamping Bollywood's sexy vamps". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  3. ^ "Helen, Ash, Akshay named for Padma Shri". Hindustan Times. 26 January 2009. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  4. ^ "Helen". OutlookIndia. 17 April 2006. Retrieved 16 October 2011.