As Helen turns 81, let us walk through her journey before Bollywood happened

Helen Anne Richardson Khan, more popularly known just by her first name Helen, was once the most sought-after dancers in all of Bollywood in the golden era. She was also a critically acclaimed actor during her prime and was awarded a Padma Shri Award by the Government of India for her work in the entertainment industry. She is also often cited as the most popular nautch dancer (A traditional Indian dance style) of her era. Helen was born on November 21, 1938. On her 80th birthday, we  look back at the struggles that Helen went through before she became Bollywood's first item dancer.

She was born in Burma

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While being of Indian origin, Helen was born in the city of Rangoon, one of the biggest and most populated cities of Myanmar (Bruma). She was born to a Burmese mother and an Anglo-Indian father named George Desmier. She also had two siblings, a brother named Roger and a sister, Jennifer. Her father passed away when she was young and her mother then remarried to a British man. 

However, at the onset of World War 2, her adoptive father also passed away. As the Japanese Army launched their invasion of Burma, Helen's family decided to move to India to avoid the Japanese occupation Government. In 1943, the family began their arduous trek to the city of Bombay. In an interview with Filmfare in 1964, Helen revealed the hardships and dangers that she and her family faced during the trip.

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She said that they had to pass through the wilderness and hundreds of villages. They also had to rely on the kindness of strangers and villagers as they were penniless, had no food, and only carried a few clothes. The actor said that their group would occasionally be aided by the British army, who would provide transport, food, refuge and also would help them treat the blisters on their feet. By the time Helen's family and the rest of the group reached Dibrugarh in Assam, many people had been left behind due to disease and several others had died due to the same. 

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Helen also revealed that her mother had a miscarriage during the journey. She also said that she and her mother had been reduced to skin and bones and her bother's health was critical at that point. Many of the survivors were admitted into Dibrugarh hospital for treatment and both Helen and her mother spent two months in the hospital. They then moved to Calcutta, however, Helen's brother passed away  after he was diagnosed with smallpox.

Helen finally got her first break as a dancer in Bollywood, in the 1951 film Awara. That was thanks to her friend Cukoo, who was also a backup dancer in the industry. After that, she rose to popularity thanks to her dancing skills and became the Bollywood icon that she is today. 

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