I loved Helen's "sadistic" cabaret to Aao Na Gale Lag jao Na in MERE JEEVAN SAATHI as she forces Rajesh Khanna to submission by whipping him!

1 & 2 are a toss up actualy. While 1 is a great song so is 2, but then today I feel #1 wins, tomorrow it could be different ....anyways

1. Aa jaane jaan (INTEQAM ) performed by Helen
2. Piya tu ab toh aaja (CARAVAN) performed by Helen
3. Baithe Hon Kya uske paas (JEWEL THIEF) performed by Laxmi Chaya and Helen
4. Dil Jalon Ka, Dil Jala Ke (ZANJEER) performed by Bindu
5. Husn Ke Lakhon Rang (JOHNNY MERA NAAM) performed by Padma Khanna
6. Thoda Sa Tehro (VICTORIA NO. 203) performed by Saira Banu
7.Yeh Mera Dil Pyaar ka deewaana (DON) performed by Helen
8. Duniya Mein (APNA DESH) performed by Mumtaz(or was it Helen, cant remember) with Rajesh Khanna
9. Dhadkan Pal Pal badhti jaaye (ARJUN) performed by Leena Das
10. Reshmi Ujaala Hai, Makhmali Andhera (SHARMILEE) i forget who performed it but I am betting it was Helen (i just cannot remember now).

It was MUMTAZ.



It was RAKHI (Armaan is right. It was not Rakhi.)

Raakhee doing cabaret? in Sharmilee? NO!!

Raakhee couldn't do a cabaret to save her life! The best she managed was to wiggle herself to Pyar Zindagi Hai with Vinod Khanna in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar.

The cabaret dancer in Sharmilee is Jayshree T

SHASHIKALA's best cabaret number in my opinion is Sheeshe Se Tu Pee Yah Paimanne Se Pee from Phool Aur Patthar. She looks like a doll wearing a blonde wig and a white dress...

Helen is the undisputed Cabaret Queen! So who is number 2 ???

Here is my TOP 10 List .....

Helen - Mehbooba Mehbooba from Sholay
Bindu - Yeh Hawas Kya Hai? from Hawas
Aruna Irani - Kya Ghazab Karte Ho from Love Story
Zeenat Aman - Raqassa Mera Naam from The Great Gambler
Zeenat Aman - Aap Jaisa Koi from Qurbani
Parveen Babi - Sanam Tum Jahan from Kaalia
Reena Roy - Kabhi Na Kabhi from Andhaa Kanoon
Rekha - Pyar Lo Pyar Do from Janbaaz
Hema Malini - Mere Naseeb Mein from Naseeb
Mumtaz - Zindagi Itefaq Hai from Aadmi Aur Insan

Other noteworthy cabaret item's:
1) Helen & Parveen Babi in Kala Sona (Koi aaya by Asha, Helen danced while parven just stood still)
2) Helen & Mehmood in Chotte Nawab (Matwali aankhon wale by Lata & Rafi - R.D.Burman first as music director)
3) Helen in Talash (karle pyar by Asha)
4) Helen & Madhumati in Yeh Raat Phir na aayewgi (Huzurewala by Asha)
5) Faryal in Jewel Thief (instrumental tune/covered with all the fake jewels) and she is not the one dancing w/Helen during Baithe hain kaya - it's some extra doing the bit
6)Saira Banu in Resham Ki Dori & Victoria 203
7) Helen in Intaqam (Mehfil sooye by Lata)

Now some really bad ones:
1) Hema Malini in Shareef Badmash & Haath Ki Safai (overrated both in acting and her attempts to do cabaret's)
2) Rekha w/ Helen in Kaccha Chor (Compared to Helen, Rekha appears as big as a house, needed a lift to move her around in those days before turning drop dead beautiful after droping all those pounds)
3) Zeenat w/ Helen in Darling Darling (Zeenat as stiff as a stick)
4) Mumtaz w/ Jeetandra in Humjoli
5) Farida Jalal in Mahal (Imagine Farida with her 4' ht attempting to woo Devanand and you thought Meena Kumari shaking her booty was bad enough)
6) Bindu in Kati Patang (mera naam hai shabnam - great song but fatty couldn't dance with her xtra xtra large figure)
7) Sadhana w/ Helen in Geeta mera naam (Sadhna's failed attempt to look sexy & overshadow Helen completely ruined everything)
Neetu Singh in Rafoo Chakkar (another one with some weight problems huffing and puffing trying to bring the house down)
9) Parveen Babi in Namak Halal (looked great but couldn't move)

that's all for now

A cabaret quiz - Can anyone name the longest cabaret number on Bollywood screen?

Quite right...it was Laxmi Chaya now that I rethink who incidentally was no extra. She reached the peak of her moll-dom with a meaty role in MERA GAON MERA DESH. Can anyone forget 'Maar Diya Jaaye, Ke Chod Diya Jaaye'.. Raj Khosla was another highly underrated directors. Coming back to 'Baithe Hain Kya Uske Paas'....its one of the more sensational numbers that Vijay Anand directed....i wonder who choreographed it....it may well have been PL Raj (wasnt he the one who also did Piya Tu and isnt he the male dancer with Helen in the song?)...incidentally PL Raj is the father of Leslie Lewis of Colonial Cousins and Rahul & I remix fame.

Ramba Ho Samba Ho sang by Usha Uthup featured on Kalpana Iyer in ARMAAN (1981)

Sorry forgot all about the quiz, well the longest cabaret sequence was from a 1971 movie called Upasna with Helen (running nearly 9 minutes ) the song Meri Jawani by Asha, movie starred Mumtaz,Sanjay & Feroz.

Oh! Rana-Jee, if you'd have posted the topic now, I'd have guessed it

Who was the dancer in 'Teri Meri Yaari Badi Purani' from Charitraheen?

To point out more cabarets from the golden age...

1. Maar Dalega Dard-E-Jigar (performed by Shashikala) in Pati Patni (1966)
2. Mera Naam Hai Jameela (performed by Helen) in Night In London (1967)
3. Bach Ke Kahan Jaoge (performed by Helen) in Yakeen (1969)
4. Main Ek Haseena (performed by Laxmi Chhaya) in Aaya Sawan Jhoom Ke (1969)
5. Awara Aye Mere Dil (performed by Laxmi Chhaya) in Raat Aur Din (1967)
6. Dil Ki Manzil (performed by Helga) in Tere Ghar Ke Samne (1963)
7. Dil Jalon Ka Dil Jalake (performed by Bindu) in Zanjeer (1973)
8. Aaj Ki Raat Koi Aane Ko Hai (performed by Helen) in Anamika (1973)
9. Yeh Hai Reshmi Zulfon Ka Andhera (performed by Mumtaz) in Mere Sanam (1965)

Finally ...
10. Aaiye Meherban (performed by Madhubala) in Howrah Bridge (1958)