Tom Alter, the “Blue-Eyed Saheb with Impeccable Hindi” has walked away into the sunset, leaving a legacy which will remain forever..
An actor on both stage, cinema and TV, director, author, cricket buff and a sports journalist, he was a man of many dimensions. Despite being struck with skin cancer, Alter had the energy to go about with his work until he was bed-ridden a few days ago.
Quite recently, Alter spoke to Pune365 on his journalistic debut interviewing Sachin Tendulkar.
When you think of Alter, who think of a white skin villain who breathed fire as Mussa in Parinda or the strict principal in Aashique. Rarely does one come across a white-skinned actor who spoke Hindi so well and typecasting him in British rule characters was obvious. But Alter was far better than that just that. For him, there were other mediums which he could explore like theatre where he shone regularly.
Spewing venom in villainous roles came easy and there was a certain polish to what he did.
A third generation American of British and Scottish descent, Alter spent his early life in Mussorie and studied his Hindi there. He went to Yale for further studies but came back after year. Alter credits Rajesh Khanna for entering the world of Hindi cinema. So smitten was he by the Rajesh Khanna starrer Aradhana, that he saw it three times within a week with his friends. There and then he decided that he would head for the bright lights of Bollywood.
He joined the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune where he honed his skills.
He debuted in the Dharmendra film Charas in 1976 as a CID official. He acted in over 300 films and was the recipient of the Padma Shri. He was also a major star on television and his role as the gangster in the hit serial Junoon is still remembered.
His skills were such that Satyajit Ray chose him for a key role in his first Hindi venture Shatranj ke Khiladi, an honour for any actor.
Alter never lost his love for the stage and acted and directed many plays. He even did a retrospect of his roles in his plays recently. Alter is also credited with conducting the first interview with Sachin Tendulkar before he became a star. He wrote on voluminously on cricket and other sports regularly and has contributed to most of the sports magazines of that era. He played cricket and coached a bit too. His son Jamie has carried that legacy.
Alter was a man who fulfilled his ambitions in various fields. He was a Man for All Seasons, a multi-talented individual whose knowledge was insatiable. A gentle character who was wonderful to talk to, he could hold court on any subject.
He was an eternal optimist, hoping to beat his latest challenge cancer. But there were better things in store for him. The tall, lean man with the sharp blue eyes is gone.
Goodbye Tom, Rest in Peace.
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