Danseuse Helen's sister in trouble

Yesteryear dancing sensation Helen's sister, Jennifer Gupta, has been in something of a tight spot lately. The 60-year-old former dancer, who married Delhi-based (retired) Air Vice Marshall Narender Lal Gupta over 30 years ago, is today fighting what seems like a losing battle against his alleged infidelity and physical abuse. Even her children seem to have turned against her. What's worse, she says, is that her only family, Helen too has refused help. This has come as a shock to her, especially considering how the Khan family has often gone out of their way to help friends and even virtual strangers. In an intense heart-to-heart, she tells us about her broken marriage, Helen and Salim Khan, adding that she blames the former scriptwriter for keeping the sisters apart. Excerpts:

What's the problem with you and your husband?
My husband, Narender Lal Gupta, has been having an affair with a woman called Madhu Kumar for the last 27 years. Now, he's married her and wants me dead. He even wants everything I own. I am being harmed and I've got proof to substantiate my claims.

Are you children helping you?
My children are supporting their father as he has turned them against me.

On January 21, 2005, they forcibly admitted me to the psychiatric ward at The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore.

After two months, I managed to escape.

I then decided to come to Mumbai for help and tried to contact Helen.

Did you manage to get in touch with her?
Yes. When I called Helen, she was happy to hear from me. The next day, however, there was a drastic change in her attitude. Then she stopped coming to the phone. My impression of her husband Salim Khan was that of a good and generous person, but I now feel he is responsible for causing a rift between Helen and me.

What happened when you came to Mumbai?
I came to Mumbai on December 26, 2006. From the airport, I went straight to Helen's home. Firstly, she wanted to know why I had come to meet her. I narrated what had been happening to me but then Helen said I was emotionally blackmailing her and called me a liar.

I was shattered! I used to call Helen chota mamma, as she's nine years older than me. My mother would be nursing my brother, Richard, so Helen brought me up.

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