Nora draws upon Helen’s iconic dance numbers
Bollywood actor Nora Fatehi is known for her dance moves; that reputation has been sealed by her recent item number, Dilbar, from the John Abraham-starrer Satyameva Jayate. And now, Nora plays not just a dancer but a Latina dance teacher in the Salman Khan-starrer Bharat — and she is taking her inspiration from none other than the legendary dancer-actor Helen.
Helen, who has performed iconic dance numbers, including Mehboob Mehbooba from Sholay (1975) and Yeh Mera Dil Pyaar Ka Deewana from Don (1978), has been the dance idol for many. Nora, a well-trained belly dancer, wants to dance with the energy that Helen brought to the screen in her heydays.
A source says, “Nora has always admired Helenji’s work and is fond of her classic films and songs. So, when she knew that she had to get her moves right as a Latina dancer, she knew she’d have to watch all of Helenji’s [films] again. She has also had long career-related discussions with her.”
Nora says, “Helenji has truly blessed me. She gave me her blessings the first time I met her, which was in December at Salman’s birthday party. I had a long chat with her about my career goals and she put her hand on my head, and said, ‘I am giving you blessings and I want all the doors to open up for you. You’ll do very well in your career.’ She advised me not to let people bring me down and not to give up.”
That meeting was inspiring for Nora. She says, “I took a lovely picture with her and since I met her and had the talk, everything has changed for me. My career literally took off, and Bharat, Dilbar, Stree happened for me.”