HELEN ji
A glittering Diamond by Gaurang Katyayan Mishra
Remember, She is our most beloved artist, actor Smt Helen ji. Since the time I have opened eyes after birth, I knew her as a dazzling star on the screen of Doordarshan. Since doordarshan was the synonymous of TV. That small screen became full of colour and lots of happiness, the moment she appeared on screen. That was her magic. Later in the life when I started learning Kathak, the classical dance, we were taught by our gurus, and K D Srivastav ji that whenever you dance you must look pleasant. That means to have a smiling face. And as usual every guru says that if you like or enjoy yourself then only you think that others will also enjoy. It should be deep inside that you like your art. In that sense the Helen ji is one and only one whom I can say without hesitation that she was the perfect artist. Whenever she performed it looked on her face that she loved that performance. She performs with al her heart. She puts 100% effort in all her performances. She is unique and un-paralleled. All her dances became inspiration to me. All of her dances inspire to excel in whatever you do, even forgetting the surroundings, only consider your aim (the Lakshya). The aim is important not the surroundings. Aim is to entertain the audience and achieve the success as a performer. She excelled. I think, She should get the highest award in film industry-the Dada Saheb Phalke award. She deserved it.
Atleast, for Her contribution to the film dancing. No one is near to her. These kind of pictures attracted me, when I saw some of the films having sort of Indian dances. She excelled in those types of dances also. I saw some Bhojpuri films, in those films Helen ji had danced. The expressions were superb. To emote and how to emote is also an art.
It comes with experience and few of artists have them in-built. I would like to add two names one is Smt Meena Kumari and other is Helen ji. Both emoted naturally. Helen ji had appeared with other heroines in filmy frames not only as a dancer but as a supporting actress also. Since she was type casted in films, the roles of dark shades were given to her. She did roles of leading lady in few films. I think with DARA SINGH ji as hero. Despite of all this she succeeded in performing whatever role was given to her. In one dance of film Shikari, she danced with the heroine, Smt Ragini, the famous and established classical dancer of that time and member of the TRIO, known as the TRAVANCORE SISTER. She was the sister of Padmini and Lalita ji, both were well trained dancer of their times and have acquired legendary status. Helen ji did a superb job. When you see the dance sequence, Helen ji performed with aplomb, and I can surely say she stole the show, Every frame she matched with the Ragini ji, who was a trained Bharatnatyam dancer. Helen ji is an in-born artist.. I will not write, but people can themselves watch the film Shikari and see that dance and then only they will believe what I am saying. Tumko dil diya itni naaj se. Naina lad gaye bhole bhale. Daga baaj se.... She has done lot of dances with that sensuous emotion, but that was the demand of producers. She was an actor of par excellence and producers etc utilised her to a great extent. “Exploited her� I must say. Since I have read many places that her name in the film assured lot of returns to the producers. That was her demand in those days.
In all these vamp(s) and sensous roles she arrayed in films, She came out as a glamourous star. Complemented all the stars and the story also. The moment she came on screen whole atmosphere changed magically. It seemed that she had a grip on all those present there watching her dance. While dancing many expert comment that if you have one to one eye
contact with your audience that is a best thing to do. Since due to this the audience thinks that he or she is being treated specially by this performance.
She ruled the screen all these years. But as the age advanced gradualy her presence on screen also reduced. But despite of all this no one could match the calibre of Helen ji. She was supreme in all her frames. I would like to research on this topic, as to how she was supreme in all those filmy frames. She talked through the camera, she was perfectly at ease with camera. In all those dance numbers one can notice that she is looking at you only. How many artist have that quality? She faced the camera and emoted while looking at eyes of her audiance. Look at her frames, you will feel as if she is looking at you. That is an art!!
She was used in films as a character that would provide “a base� to hero and heroine. Helen was the central character in films. The hero and heroine used her. Hero used her to become innocent, and prove himself as a good man but she was to be blamed what he did. Heroine would prove that she was good compared to the role Helen played. Thus for both roles played by Helen ji were essential. It was Helen ji’s calibre that she carried all these roles to the best. She enthrailed the audiance all for 30 years, nowhere in world such example exist
See all these three framse. Did you see any spark?. Dazzle?? That was the magic. Have you seen any other ad by the lux like this ever before or even after. Even today you will not find any such ad where a star like her (read the type casted) has come up in ad. Remind you that the first word itself conveys the message. Was it not type casted ? forced on her?. Did she not deserved that space without that word. Thus all of them exploited her. Her fair complexion became a handicap for her. In one film the Saira Banu was toped with lot of getups to show her as of foreign origin but Helen ji was not taken despite of being a natural looking white. She could not become heroine depsite of being white? She got best supporting actress award. She was awarded with Padma Shri, One of the highest civilian award. She became popular by the song chin chin.
Her mistake is that she was fair in color, she was able to act, she was able to dance with great ease, she could have given challange to any actor of her times. She was a true artist at heart.
She has appeared in one film with her son-Salman Khan. Since she is married to Salim Khan, i believe everybody at their household must be calling her as “ammi�. She deserve all the praise. What a dramatic life they have. From a town in Burma they travelled to India through Assam (dibrugarh) as i had read somewhere that she along witht her mother and few others she was traveling and at Dibrugarh they were admitted in a hospital for treatment. From then on their life in India started. That was full of struggle. Here in India everyone has to struggle but few people reach such hieghts as Helen Ji has achieved. Long live our Helen Ji. In both the frames below Helen Ji is the winner.
My respect to her, i bow at her feet to seek her blessings.
sadar charan spasrh. All pictures i searched through Google, thus i seek forgiveness, if i have made any mistake.