Legendary Actress Helen Richardson Khan | Knowledge Studio Hub

Hello Guys,

Well, We all know about Legendary Actress Helen ji but let’s know more about her in detail. 

Personal Life

Helen Ann Richardson Khan was born in Yangon, Myanmar (earlier Rangoon, Burma) on November 21, 1938. Her father name was George Desmier he was an Anglo Indian and her mother was Burmese her brother name was Roger and sister name Jennifer. During World War ll their father has been died. Then her family moved to Mumbai in 1943 in order to escape from the Japanese occupation of Myanmar (earlier Burma). In 1964, during an Interview Helen had told to Filmfare that…

“We hiked alternately through hundreds of villages, surviving on the kindness people, for we were poor, with no food and having few clothes. Frequently, we met British soldiers who provided us with transport, found us refuge and treated our blistered feet and bruised bodies and fed us. By the time we reached Dibrugarh, Assam. Our group had been reduced to half. Some had fallen ill and some had been left behind, some had died of starvation and by disease. My mother miscarried along the way. The survivors were admitted to the Dibrugarh hospital for treatment. Mother and I had been virtually reduced to skeletons and my brother’s condition were critical. We spent two months in hospital. When we recovered, we moved to Calcutta, and sadly my brother died there due to smallpox”.  

Helen ji quit her schooling to support her family as her mother was a nurse and her salary was not enough to feed a family. In a documentary “Queen of the Nautch girls”, Helen ji said that she had got her first big break in Howrah Bridge at the age of 19 in 1957.

Helen ji married to Salim khan in 1981, a prominent Bollywood screenplay writer. Salim Khan was already married and having four children. Still, Helen ji joined the khan family and had a huge part (with khan and his first wife Salma) in keeping the family united. Step-Children of her have bonded with her closely.

Helen ji and Salim khan later on in 1980s she had adopted a baby girl, Arpita. She was the daughter of a homeless woman who had died an accident on footpath of Mumbai. Helen ji came across this baby, saw her weeping, and brought her home to take care of her. She completed her schooling in Mumbai, then at the London School of Fashion, then came back to Mumbai to work in an interior design firm. Then she gets married to Aayush Sharma on 18 November 2014.

Career of Helen Khan

Helen ji was presented to Bollywood when a family friend, an actress known as Cukoo, she helped her to find jobs as a refrain dancer in the films like Shabistan and Awara. She was soon started working regularly and was presented as a solo dancer in films like Alif Laila (1954) and Hoore-e-Arab (1955).

She had performed on the song “Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu” in Shakti Samanta’s film, Howrah Bridge at the age of 19 in 1958 as it was her first break in Film Industry. During her initial career, Geeta Dutt sang many songs for her.

In 1960s and early 1970s, the Bollywood playback singer Asha Bhosle had also singed for Helen ji. She was also nominated for the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award in 1965 for her role in Gumnaam. She had also played dramatic roles such as the rape victim in Shakti Samanta’s Pagal Kahin Ka (1970).

Writer Salim Khan helped her get roles in some of the films, he was co-scripting with Javed Akhtar Such as Immaan Dharam, Don, Dostana and Sholay. This was followed by a role in Mahesh Bhatt’s film Lahu Ke Do Rang (1979) for this she won Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award. In 1999 Helen ji was given India’s Flimfare Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 1983, Helen ji retired from movies, but she has then appeared in a few movies as a guest role such as Khamoshi: The Musical (1996) and Mohabbatein (2000). She also made a special appearance as the mother of real-life step-son Salman Khan’s movie “Hum Dil Se Chuke Sanam” and “Humko Deewana Kar Gaye” in 2006.

Achievements in Film Industry

Padma Shri, a civilian honor from the India Government (2009)

Nominated for Filmfare Award in Best Supporting Actress – Gumnaam (1966)

Nominated for Filmfare Award in Best Supporting Actress – Shikaar (1969)

Nominated for Filmfare Award in Best Supporting Actress – Elaan (1980)

Won the Flimfare Award for Best Supporting Actress – Lahu Ke Do Rang (1980)

Nominated for Flimfare Award in Best Suporting Actress – Khamoshi: The Musical (1997)

Won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (1999)