When people picture celebrity fitness wins, they usually imagine young stars on magazine covers. Yasmin Karachiwala, the Pilates trainer behind Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif, has worked with many such transformations. Yet her proudest tale is not a red-carpet makeover. It is the simple, powerful return to movement of veteran actress Helen, who is remembered for iconic dance numbers such as ‘Piya Tu Ab To Aaja’, ‘Aa Jaane-Jaan’, and other classic cabaret songs that lit up old Hindi cinema. At 86, she found strength, balance, and joy again.
A call that began a quiet revolution
Yasmin remembers how the change started. Helen had been fairly active before the pandemic, but months of reduced movement took their toll. Yasmin saw the difference at family events and was worried. In a chat with hK Vitals podcast on YouTube, she said, “I noticed her movements were deteriorating. She was walking with a stick, and it started affecting her confidence. She would even avoid looking at me at events, covering her face and saying, ‘I don’t want to even see you, darling!’”That moment stuck with Yasmin. It was not about looks, it was about a loss of independence and self-belief. Then one day, all at once, Helen made a decision. “One day, she just called and said, ‘I’m ready,’” Karachiwala said.
Gentle starts, steady progress, big change
Helen arrived at the studio with a cane and weak muscles. Yasmin describes how they began carefully, “She walked into my studio with a cane, barely able to move because of her weight and muscle atrophy. But we started slow, building strength day by day.” Within months the difference was clear. Yasmin laughed recalling the scene, “She no longer uses a cane. She can climb stairs, bend down to play with my puppy, and even jump on a trampoline. I had to tell her, ‘Aunty, don’t bend so much,’ and she replied, ‘I can!’”
Helen made it her daily habit
What made Helen’s turnaround possible was more than a few sessions. It was commitment. Yasmin stresses the role of routine. Karachiwala said,“She came in every single day, unless she was unwell. Pilates allowed her to enjoy movement again. That’s what I love about it, it can be tailored for both an 86-year-old and a top athlete.”
Why is this Yasmin’s favourite success story
Yasmin admits that, if asked four years ago, she would have named transformations of younger stars. “If you had asked me this question four years back, I would have told you about one of my Katrina (Kaif), Alia (Bhatt), Deepika (Padukone) transformations, but my most recent transformation…I don’t know if I will call it challenging as much as satisfying…is of Helen’s. She is 86 now”
