Helen Ann Richardson Khan, known mononymously as Helen, was born on November 21, 1938, in Rangoon, Burma. She is the daughter of an Anglo-Indian father, George Desmier, and a Burmese mother, Marlene. Following her father's death during World War II, Helen's family migrated to India in 1942 to escape the Japanese invasion. She began her career in Bollywood in 1953 and gained fame with her performance of "Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo" in the film *Howrah Bridge* (1958). Over her 70-year career, she appeared in over 1,000 films, primarily as a dancer and supporting actress. Helen was married twice; her first husband was film director P.N. Arora, from whom she divorced in 1974. In 1981, she married Salim Khan, a prominent Bollywood screenwriter and the father of four children. Helen has one adopted daughter, Arpita Khan. She has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including two Filmfare Awards and the Padma Shri in 2009.