When Helen spoke about being compared to Vyjayanthimala and said she never aimed to be better

Mumbai, Nov 21 (IANS) Veteran actress and dancer Helen had once opened up about the frequent comparisons drawn between her and actress Vyjayanthimala.

Reflecting on that phase, she shared that she never aimed to be better than her contemporaries and was focused solely on giving her best to every performance. During her old interview with Prasar Bharati, Helen described her approach to dance and how deeply she connected with it. She expressed that whenever she danced, she became completely absorbed in the performance so much so that she forgot about the camera, the crew, and everyone around her. Because she was fully immersed in the music, her dancing came across as natural, unique, and different from others.

The ‘Don’ actress also talked about how she viewed competition in the industry. Helen explained that her intention was never to be better than Vyjayanthimala or outshine her. Instead, she simply wanted to give her best and be good in her own way.

The veteran actress stated, “When I used to dance, I used to forget the camera, cameraman, light, everybody. I used to forget that there was anybody around. I used to enjoy my music and dance so much. And I suppose that’s the reason why you could see, you know, that as everybody would say that you dance, you do it differently. You look different. It’s because I used to get into the dance.”

“No, naturally. The competition and that way that I would like to do my best. It’s not that I should do better than Vyjayanthimala. That was not the case. But the thing was that I should do better. That I should be, not maybe as good, but good along with her.”

Helen, who turned 87 on November 21, has featured in more than 500 films over a remarkable career spanning nearly seven decades. Celebrated as one of the most iconic nautch and cabaret performers of her era, she was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2009.

Her filmography includes memorable titles like “Howrah Bridge,” “Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai,” “Woh Kaun Thi?,” “Caravan,” “Upaasna,” “Ram Balram” and “Sholay,” among many others.

Helen made her last big-screen appearance in the 2012 film “Heroine,” which was led by Kareena Kapoor Khan.

–IANS

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