By: Ambika Prem Kumar

The voluptuous vamp, the bad girl, provocative and uncompromising, Helen is outside the cultural norms of India.

Helen, superstar of Indian cinema, burst onto the screen in a cacophony of rattles. Helen, deeply alluring, wildly unattainable, seducing the camera with her kohl-laden eyes, mocks her helpless male victims. Hands grasp at her in silhouetted desperation before she bursts through the screen in chaste triumph. She towers over a low-angled camera with a smile of pseudo-innocence. The young Helen, an Anglo Indian refugee from Burma, made a laborious trek to India accompanied by her mother, to escape the perils of World War II.

Her mother's income was inadequate thus making Helen quit school. Maybe dropping out of school proved lucky for this young who then joined films. During the training of Kathak, Helen discovered she had a flair for dancing. The leading dancer of Hindi films during that period was a family friend Cuckoo. Still in her early teens, Helen got a break as a chorus dancer in Shabistan (1951), thanks to the recommendation of Cuckoo.

In spite of living her childhood in exile, she was impassive on her rise to wealth and fame, she shows no hint of false modesty and is keen to maintain an air of professionalism, to get her fame and wealth. The strict ethical code governing the industry at the time, far from curtailing the creative content, actually enhances it. With kissing and even affectionate touching expressly forbidden by the censors, the dance assumes a surrogate sexuality that the characters themselves cannot consummate.

For all Helen's projected vulgarity there is an overriding awe of her grace and sensuality that deems her worthy timeless tribute. They seem to have found in this screen goddess the core dignity that carries off - even vindicates - the outlandish behavior and glitz of an entire nation, and justifies the most popular genre in motion picture historyHelen, who made her debut in 1945, has appeared in over 500 films and continues to do so with the same fervor and enthusiasm. She is rightly considered the starter of the 'item number' trend, which is very much the norm, used to save flagging films.

Usually a popular vamp is used to tease the masses to come and see the film, which is otherwise dull. The vamp can sing and dance in a manner that is unimaginable if associated with the heroine. Helen did push the envelope when it came to provocation on screen, but she took care to wear skin-coloured body stockings in most of her cabarets even when she wore daring outfits

Helen enjoyed 20 years as cabaret queen of Hindi films, and shot to fame with the number: 'Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo' (HOWRAH BRIDGE).

Some of her other famous number are:

'Piya Tu Ab To Aaja' (CARVAN)
'Aa Jaan-E-Jaan' (INTEQAM)
'O Hassena Zulfon Wali' (TEESRI MANZIL)
'Mehbooba mehbooba" (Sholay)
'Yeh mera dil pyaar ka deewana' (Don)

Such numbers kept coming year after year, thus giving rise to other vamps like Aroona Irani, Bindoo, Padma Khanna, Asha Sachdev and Kalpana Iyer.

In the eighties the film climate was slowly changing. Stars like Vinod Khanna and Feroze Khan aroused popularity amongst the viewers for action movies. Vamps danced to seduce these macho men. The dance sequences became more seductive and the costumes more daring. It was in such a scenario that Helen finally quit movies and opted for a quiet retired life.

Helen made a dramatic appearance in Khamoshi as an elderly lady after disappearing from the screen for a long time. Then she appeared in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam again being cast with her son Salman Khan. Her little jig brought tears of nostalgia and she gave a splendid performance. From that time onwards Helen has been making sporadic appearances in both movies and television serials either as a favour or because the role is too interesting to ignore.

Many of the avid Indian film lovers still would remember Helen as the ultimate vamp ever to have graced the screen.

Today, Helen enjoys a semi-retired life. Currently working on a television serial she seems to be, at age 63; just as enthusiastic as ever and as a long time fan I hope that she continues being so.

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