Helena Luke, the Bollywood actress who was the first wife of Dadasaheb Phalke Award-winner Mithun Chakraborty, has passed away in the US. Her friend and dancer-actress Kalpana Iyer announced this sad news on social media. No cause of death has been revealed for Helena Luke. Best remembered for the film Mard (1985) opposite Amitabh Bachchan, she also had a brief but memorable four-month marriage to Mithun Chakraborty. And in her final post, she wrote about feeling “unwell” and “everything simmers,” offering fans a bittersweet sense of her final cognition. She wrote, “Feeling weird. Having mixed feelings but no idea about why, disconnected.”
The Mard actress, in an earlier interview with Stardust Magazine, opened up about her short, four-month union with Mithun Chakraborty calling it a ‘hazy dream’. She expressed that she regretted the marriage in the first place, as Mithun had told her that he was ideal for her. Rumors swirled about them getting back together, but she shot that down hard, saying she would not take him back ‘even if he was the richest man’. She had not even attempted to go after alimony, preferring, as much as possible, to close the door on the crazy. Mithun had even once assurance Helena’s dad that he will take care of her like the “9th wonder of the world.” But, Helena felt abandoned by Mithun in the end. She claimed that her instincts had believed his far-too-frequent proclamations of love, only to then discover that he was incredibly self-absorbed.
Helena accused Mithun – whom she referred to as possessive and jealous – of being younger but less mature than the couple’s 10-year-old son as well of being “suspicious” and even of her meeting her ex-boyfriend Javed in secret. Later Helena believed that his suspicions came from his own actions — he was in fact cavorting with others behind her back — and she became worn out from persuading him otherwise. And this awareness signified the end of their very brief marriage.
Born in Mumbai, Helena Luke was an established actress and model in India, but moved to the United States to live out the later stages of her life. Several unforgettable performances in Bollywood films, including Do Gulaab (1983), Aam Pyaar Karen (1983), and Bhai Aakhir Bhai Hota Hai (1982), soon followed. A talented and charming actress, Helena made her mark in Bollywood during her career.
