Helen just turned 87 and fans are celebrating her incredible journey in Indian cinema. Her expressions, energy and dancing skills made her one of Bollywood’s most iconic dancers.

While she enjoyed a huge popularity, people often compared her to another legendary actress. The debate went on for years.

Helen never let these comparisons affect her. She later said she didn’t dance to compete with anyone but simply because she loved losing herself in music.

The name she was constantly compared with was Vyjayanthimala, one of the finest dancers of her generation and a big star of that era.

Helen revealed that she never aimed to be better than Vyjayanthimala. Her only focus was on becoming better than her own last performance.

She explained in an old interview with Prasar Bharati that whenever she danced, she forgot everything — the lights, the camera, and even the people standing around her.

She said, “When I used to dance, I used to forget the camera, cameraman, light, everybody. I used to enjoy my music and dance so much that I got into it completely.”

In another moment, she added, “It’s not that I should do better than Vyjayanthimala. That was not the case. I should be good along with her, that’s all I wanted.”

Instead of competition, Helen chased emotion and honesty in every move and the result? She still remains one of the most loved actresses of Bollywood.

Over nearly seven decades, Helen appeared in more than 500 films and earned the title of Bollywood’s “Cabaret Queen”, thanks to her unforgettable performances.

She received the Padma Shri in 2009 and is remembered for films like Howrah Bridge, Caravan, Woh Kaun Thi, Sholay and many more.

As the legendary turned a year older on November 21, here’s wishing her a very happy belated birthday!