Veteran actor, writer and director Tom Alter on Friday lost his battle against skin cancer in Mumbai. Known for starring in television shows like Bharat Ek Khoj, Zabaan Sambhalke and Betaal Pachisi , Tom Alter was an American-origin actor settled in India.
Film fraternity reacted to the loss of the prominent film and theatre personality.
Director Vishal Bhardwaj
Tom Alter was a very old and dear friend of mine. We played so many matches of cricket, spent so many evenings together and shared many joys and sorrows in life. He introduced me to Mussoorie and now it's the place where I now spend most of my creative time. He was a most gentle person and will be dearly missed.
Actor Rajit Kapur:
He was a colleague, a friend. The funny thing is when we would meet our greeting would not be a handshake or a hug but literally we used to jump onto each other like they do in wrestling. Invariably we would injure one of the two and people would wonder whether we’ve got into a fight. It’s something I would never forget because that kind of greeting you don’t have with anybody. It was one of its kind.
He was accepting of everything, and a very open person. There was always a twinkle in his eyes and that speaks volumes for someone. When you get along for 20 years you don’t think about him as an actor. We just had a lot of fun working together.
Actor Ashwin Mushran:
I studied at Doon and was a known figure in Mussoorie and Landour in those days, even as a kid in school. He used to keep visiting the school and he is somebody we knew of from then. Of course, we saw him as a kid in Junoon where he stood out. But when I came back to Bombay after studying in the U.K., I did a little bit of TV, and he was in one of the shows I can’t remember. It was a long time ago. He was incredibly warm and generous and his command over Urdu of course was impeccable. We used to almost sit around in a circle when he used to speak. I don’t think he had a car, and I don’t think till date he used a mobile phone. So one kind of lost touch with him because we use our cells now and he just used landline. When whenever I bumped into him he was warm and very nice to somebody who is new in the industry. I do have white skin, and I do get tagged as that, although I haven’t really played those roles but to see someone make a living out of it is quite fascinating to me. But for me is reputation on stage and his command over language stood out, it’s something people never really gave him his dues for.
I would hate to say it but he was of American descent but played a Britisher in lots of things. He was born and brought up in Mussoorie and was from all over. So I think he should always be remembered as a white Indian. He was one of the finest theatre actors that a lot of people didn’t get to see but everybody in the theatre community of course did. He was in Larins Sahib as well where he played the governor of one of the provinces. That was a huge play and still well-known. He will be remembered as a fine character actor, and people like this get their due only when they pass away. It’s a pity but they will always be around.
