Happy Birthday Helen: The 'Marilyn Monroe Of India' Who Ruled The Dance Floor!

Be it playing the vamp or wooing the auidence with her scintillating dance numbers, Helen was a darling of million hearts. Known for her cabaret numbers in films, she flirted with the screen like no one else. In a Quint interview, she once slipped out her secret, "Every girl should flirt with the man who's handling the camera. And not with the hero, producer or the director. If she makes the photographer feel wanted, he'll make her look gorgeous, giving her an edge over the leading lady."

Hers was a Cinderella story.An Anglo-Indian refugee from Burma, a young Helen, accompanied by her mother, made a daunting trek to India to escape from World War II.

She recalled in a throwback interview, "..we trekked alternately through wilderness and hundreds of villages, surviving on the generosity of people, for we were penniless, with no food and few clothes. Occasionally, we met British soldiers who provided us with transport, found us refuge and treated our blistered feet and bruised bodies and fed us.

By the time we reached Dibrugarh in Assam, our group had been reduced to half. Some had fallen ill and been left behind, some had died of starvation and disease. My mother miscarried along the way. The survivors were admitted to the Dibrugarh hospital for treatment. Mother and I had been virtually reduced to skeletons and my brother's condition was critical. We spent two months in hospital. When we recovered, we moved to Calcutta, and sadly my brother died there due to smallpox."

Soon Helen discovered that she had a flair for dancing when she was learning kathak and bagged her first break as a chorus dancer in Shabistan (1951). This was followed by 'Mr John ya Baba Khan'. But, it was Howrah Bridge's 'Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo' which changed the game for her.

On her 80th birthday today, we bring you some of her most iconic songs-

Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu (Howrah Bridge)

Geetu Dutt's intoxicating voice coupled with O.P Nayyar's foot-tapping composition and Helen pretending to be a Chinese dancer. This song is so much fun!

O Haseena Zulfonwali (Teesri Manzil)

Two best dancers- Shammi Kapoor and Helen in one frame. It has to be an explosion, for sure!

Piya Tu Ab To Aaja (Caravan)

The song had Helen waiting for her man of dreams to show up and getting all groovy to RD Burman's tunes.

Mehbooba Mehbooba (Sholay)

Every thing this iconic song plays, you just can't help yourself from hitting the dance floor.

Yeh Mera Dil Pyar Ka Deewana (Don)

One more 'seduction' number featuring Helen and this time, it's Big B on the other side.

Mungda, O Mungda, Main Gud Ki Dali (Inkaar)

For a change, Helen swapped her shimmery cabaret outfit for a bright yellow and blue koli-styled sari, but her 'jhatkas' and 'matkas' didn't stop the men from going all crazy over her.