Happy Birthday Helen!

Today marks the birthday of the yesteryear actress, dancing diva and queen of cabaret, Helen. Helen Jairag Richardson was born on November 21st, to an Anglo-Indian father and Burmese mother, in Burma. However, her family had to move to Mumbai in 1943 after Japan invaded Burma. In order to support her family, Helen had to quit school and took up chorus dancing in movies like Awara and Shabistan at the tender age of thirteen.

Helen continued as a dancer and even appeared as a solo dancer in a few movies but her first big break and turning point in her career, came in 1958 when she performed on the song "Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu" in the movie Howrah Bridge. After that, there was no stopping her as offers kept coming in for her!

Nominated for Filmfare Best Supporting actress for Gumnaam, Helen, even went on to win the same award for Lahu Ke Do Rang. She played small but pivotal roles in movies such as Don, Dostana and Sholay along with some critically acclaimed roles. However, it was her dancing that people loved her for. After retiring in 1983, she made special appearances in movies such as Khamoshi: The Musical, Mohabbatein, and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam among others.

A book was also published in her name titled "The Life and Times of an H Bomb" by Jerry Pinto which went on to win the National Film Award for Best Book on Cinema. Along with this Helen also won the prestigious Padma Shri in 2009.

To celebrate this dancing queen's birthday here is a mini playlist of her foot tapping songs: