Retro Caf is back – with the Special episode – a tribute to the most celebrated 'Vamp' of Hindi movies –Helen!
Retro Caf #11: Helen Special
Many of you who guessed right when we started the 'guess who the next Retro special Person' last week - we got overwhelming response
And the lucky winner is - teenindia_us – Our dear Angie. 👏
Her message was read out by her favorite RJ Sanjeev in the episode!
Before sharing some information about this weeks Retro Featured person Helen – let me give you the clue for the next featured person. The rules are same –
Guess the Featured Person of next week's Retro Caf
He has brought disco in Bollywood in 80's. Man with a golden voice and golden accessories.
Guess who is he?
Please send in your entries to , by pm, by Monday, 19/6/06, 11.00 p.m. India time... The lucky winner will be picked up by the Development Team and will be given an option to dedicate one song of that artiste to any member of his/her choice. The winner will also have the option of dedicating the message (two minutes message) live on Retro Caf.
So what are you waiting for? Start guessing NOW!
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Some not-so-well-known facts about Helen.Who can forget her item dance numbers such as "Mehbooba Mehbooba"(Sholay) or "Oh haseena zulfonwali"(Teesrri Manzil)!
Helen was born in Burma in 1939. Her birth name was Helen Richardson. She is of Anglo-Burmese extraction, which makes her a rarity in the Bollywood film world. Helen with her mother and 2 brothers fled to India during World War II. Helen's mother worked as a nurse. Because her mother's income as a nurse was very limited, Helen quit school to work in films. She had been studying classical Indian Kathak dancing for a while. A family friend, an actress known as Cukoo, helped her find jobs as a chorus dancer in the films Shabistan and Awaara (1951). Helen was soon working regularly, and was featured as a solo dancer in films like Alif Laila and Hoor-e-Arab. In 1958, she had her first major hit with her performance in the song Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu in the hit film, Howrah Bridge. She was in great demand after this, performing as a cabaret dancer and vamp in film after film. She was known as the Cabaret Queen. She never succeeded as a heroine, but vamp roles and "item numbers" kept her busy through the 1960s. Her luck took a turn for the worse in the 1970s. Younger actresses were taking the vamp roles. Also, changing rules for Bollywood heroines made it possible for sexy young things in go-go boots to do the cabaret numbers and play the heroine. Helen fell into financial difficulties.
Writer Salim Khan helped her get good roles in some of the movies he was co-scripting with Javed Akhtar: Imaam Dharam, Don, and Dostana. This led to a demanding role in Mahesh Bhatt's film Lahu Ke Do Rang (1979), for which she won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actress award. Soon afterwards, she married Salim Khan.
Helen retired from the screen for a number of years, but made a few "guest star" appearances in 1999 in Mohabbatein. Today, Helen enjoys a semi-retired life. Occasionally, she dons grease paint for a Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Khamoshi). As testimony to the perennial popularity of her dances, A-list heroines like Aishwarya Rai and Urmila Matondkar dance to her numbers at stage shows.
Anupamaa
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
