Helen, a great beauty and a fabulous dancer of Bollywood.

Helen was born in Burma to an Anglo Indian father named George Desmier and a Burmese mother named Marlene. Her father went missing during the Second World War. Her family migrated to India in 1942 as refugees in order to escape from the Japanese invasion of Burma. Helen was introduced to Bollywood in 1953 by the famous dancer Cuckoo. She got her break in 1958 when she performed the song 'Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo' in the movie Howrah Bridge. Helen rarely got roles as the lead heroine in movies. So, she opted dancing which proved to be her fortune. Throughout the 1960's and 1970's, she danced in more than 700 movies establishing herself as a prolific dancer. She was known for wearing different colors of wigs, contact lenses and skimpy outfits in her movies. In the late 1970's, her demand started diminishing because of her age along with the entry of younger dancers like Padma Khanna, Jayshree T, Bindu, Aruna Irani and Kalpana Iyer. In 1979, she won the best supporting actress award for her role as Vinod Khanna's Chinese wife in 'Lahu Ke Do Rang'. She officially retired from movies in 1981 after marrying screenwriter Salim Khan.

Helen Jairag Richardson, popularly known as only Helen, was famous for her cabarets in scores of films, but this sensuous danseuse exuded an aura of class that put her in a league of her own. She was a sensation of the time. She could dance with great appeal and was the most expected person for what is called “Item Song” now a day. But she always stayed within the code of decency. She used to wear body stockings all the times. She also did a few serious roles and proved not only to be measured by sexuality. She has appeared in over 700 films.Helen’s dazzling appearance colored many commercially successful Hindi films like Awara (1951), Jewel Thief (1967), Gumnaam(1968), Sholay (1975), Don(1978), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) and a lot more.

In 1965, 1968 and 1971, she was nominated for the best supporting actress award but lost in all three of them. She eventually won this award in 1979 for Lahu Ke Do Rang.

Three books were written on her dance career along with a documentary called 'Helen Queen of the Nautch girls' which was released in 1973 by Merchant Ivory Productions.

Was the lead actress in Cha Cha Cha(1964). The film flopped and she began concentrating on dancing and playing supporting roles in films.

Was a sex symbol in the 1960s and 1970s and was referred to as the H-Bomb in movie magazines.
First actress to introduce cabaret and belly dance in Indian films.

Father was Anglo Indian and mother was Burmese. After her father's death, her mother remarried a British soldier. Her British stepfather died in the Second World war as well.

Was a fan of Gene Kelly and Ann Margaret.Had an uncanny resemblance to 1960's Bollywood dancer Madhumati and was often mistaken for each other.

Has a brother Roger Jairag and a stepsister Jennifer. She also had another brother Richard who died of smallpox in 1946.

Had an English stepfather who also died in the Second World War.Biological father's name was Desmier George and stepfather's name was Robert Richardson.

Helen's first marriage was in 1957 to film director Prem Narayan Arora of Dil Daulat Duniya fame, who was 27 years older than her. She divorced him in 1974.

Helen, Music Composer Kalyanji and Rajesh Khanna

Played multi ethnic characters in movies. She was an Anglo Indian gold digger in Gumnaam (1965), a German Spy in Ek Se Badhkar Ek (1976), a Chinese night club dancer in Howrah Bridge (1958), an Indian fisher-woman in Inkaar (1977), an Italian friend of Vyjayanthimala in Prince (1969), a Burmese woman in Lahu Ke Do Rang (1979) and an African woman in Hulchul (1971).
Always wore a burqa in public places due to fear of being harassed.

Was nominated as the Best Supporting Actress Award for Gumnaam (1965), Shikar (1968) and Elaan (1971)but was lost in all three of them.

Moved in with director P.N Arora in 1957 who exploited her financially. She left him in 1974 because she found out he was spending her money without her consent. As a result, she became bankrupt and her apartment was confiscated.

Married Salim Khan in 1981 and became his second wife. Helen met Salim Khan in 1962 on the sets of Kabli Khan (1963) where she was the heroine and he was the villain in the movie.
Helen's father George went missing in the 1940s. Her mother passed away on June 1982.
Her brother Roger Richardson (Jairag) appeared in the film Jewel Thief. He played a navy man in a song .

The film Dil Daulat Duniya was remake of 1948 Hindi film Pugree starring Kamani Kaushal, which was produced by Prem Narayan Arora himself and he decided to direct the remake in 1972 with Rajesh Khanna and Sadhana in the lead. Helen played the role which Shashikala had essayed in the 1948 version. The film was huge hit.

Helen regards her best performances in dances to be in Pipili Saheb, Naya Aadmi, Halaku, Yahudi, Howrah Bridge, Uttamputhiran in Tamil, Bedard Zamana Kya Jane ,Sri Valli in Tamil, Hum Hindustani, Half Ticket, Hongkong, China Town, Woh Kaun Thi, Gumnaam, Kaajal, Jewel Theif, Yakeen, The Train, Caravan, Sange Muzhangu in Tamil, Zakhmee, Ginny Aur Jhonny, Bairaag, Deewangee, Khel Khilari Ka, Inkaar, Don. She loved her roles as well in Kab Kyun Aur Kahan, Pagla Kahin Ka, Apradh, Mere Jeevan Saathi , Dil Daulat Duniya,Lahu Ke Do Rang, Shararat, Khamoshi, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Ab Tak Chappan .

Helen acted with MGR (M.G.Ramachandran) in the two songs Naan Sollitara and Sila Kudipathu Pole from the 1972 film Sanghe Muzhangu starring Lakshmi with MGR. Helen also danced with Sivaji Ganeshan in 1958 film Uthamaputhiran for the song Yaarde Nee Mohini and later in 1962 film Sri Valli for the song Malai naattu kuravar nanga.

Nephew Lalit Aurora acted in Nasamajh (1986). He was former husband P.N. Arora's nephew.
Clips of Helen was used by NAWTIKS for the music video of the song "205-A " from the album Negative One.

Helen sister Jennifer (Jenny) was first married to dancer /choreographer Oscar Unger. He later married fellow dancer Teresa Nazreth. She later remarried to Narendra Lal Gupta, an Air Vice Marshal. They have a son and daughter. They divorced in 2005.