A new book by former Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria reveals how underworld don Karim Lala helped Bollywood dancer Helen reclaim her house in a dramatic personal crisis. The book, titled When It All Began: The Untold Stories of the Underworld, documents the incident where Helen was thrown out of her own home by her ex-husband, filmmaker PN Arora. Despite her success in over 700 films since the 1950s, Helen had given financial control to Arora, who later mistreated her and refused to return her property. Desperate for help, she approached veteran actor Dilip Kumar and writer Salim Khan. Dilip Kumar wrote a note to Karim Lala on her behalf. The Afghan-born don, known for his respect toward women, intervened swiftly. Within hours, Arora vacated the house, leaving behind all her belongings and keys. The book is published by Penguin Random House India and was officially launched in Mumbai.
How Karim Lala Resolved Helen's Housing Crisis
When Helen arrived at Karim Lala's gathering with Dilip Kumar's note, the crowd recognized the famous dancer immediately. Lala, not particularly a film enthusiast, asked his aide to take her to his wife Fatima. After hearing her situation, he promised she would get her house back and told her to return in a couple of hours. Upon reaching her home later, Helen found that Arora had vacated the property, leaving all her belongings and the keys with the guard. Lala's influence had worked swiftly. This incident added dispute resolution to the portfolio of the feared crime boss, who controlled liquor, gambling, and extortion rackets until his death in 2002.
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