A new book by former Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria reveals how Bollywood dancer Helen sought help from underworld don Karim Lala when her ex-husband, filmmaker PN Arora, evicted her from her own home. The book, titled When It All Began: The Untold Stories of the Underworld, documents the rise and fall of Mumbai's underworld, including figures like Karim Lala, Haji Mastan and Dilip Aziz. Helen, who turned 87 in November, was born in Rangoon in 1938 and moved to Bombay after fleeing wartime Burma. She appeared in over 700 films starting from 1958 but had given financial control to Arora. When he threw her out, desperate attempts through Dilip Kumar and Salim Khan led her to Lala, who intervened and helped her reclaim her property. The book, priced at Rs 999, is published by Penguin Random House India.
How Karim Lala Helped Helen Recover Her Home
When Helen approached Karim Lala with a note from actor Dilip Kumar, the don immediately sensed her distress. Born Abdul Karim Sher Khan in Afghanistan, Lala had risen to become one of Mumbai's most feared crime bosses, heading the Pathan Gang and controlling liquor, gambling and extortion rackets through the 1960s and early 1980s. Despite not being a film enthusiast, he recognized Helen's celebrity status and listened to her situation. He asked his aide to take her to his wife Fatima and promised to resolve the matter. Within hours, Arora had vacated the house, leaving behind all her belongings and keys with the guard. Lala died in 2002, ending an era in Mumbai's crime history.
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