Tom Alter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom Alter
|
|
|---|---|
Alter in 2016
|
|
| Born |
Thomas Beach Alter
22 June 1950 Mussoorie, Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand), India
|
| Died | 29 September 2017 (aged 67) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
|
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1975–2017 |
| Spouse(s) |
Carol Evans
(m. 1977) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Martha Chen (sister) Stephen Alter (first cousin) |
Tom Alter, whose full name was Thomas Beach Alter, was a famous Indian actor. He was born on June 22, 1950, and passed away on September 29, 2017. He was very well-known for his work in Hindi movies and Indian plays. In 2008, the Government of India gave him the Padma Shri. This is a special award given to people who have done great things for India.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Tom Alter was born in Mussoorie, a town in Uttarakhand, India. His parents were American missionaries. His grandparents had moved to India from the United States in 1916. After India was divided in 1947, his family settled in Rajpur, Uttarakhand.
As a child, Tom learned Hindi in Mussoorie. Because of this, people sometimes called him the "Blue-eyed saheb with perfect Hindi." He went to Woodstock School in Mussoorie.
When he was 18, Tom went to the U.S. for college. He studied at Yale University for a year. But he soon lost interest in his studies and came back to India.
Becoming an Actor
After returning to India, Tom worked as a teacher. He taught at St. Thomas School in Jagadhri, Haryana, for six months. He also coached his students in cricket.
During this time, he started watching Hindi films. He was especially inspired by the movie Aradhana and its lead actor, Rajesh Khanna. This movie made him want to become an actor.
From 1972 to 1974, Tom studied acting. He went to the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. He once said, "I came to Mumbai to become Rajesh Khanna; didn't come to act on stage."
Acting Career
After finishing his studies at FTII, Tom Alter moved to Mumbai. He quickly got his first role in the movie Charas in 1976. His next film was Saheb Bahadur in 1977.
Tom was very good at speaking Hindi and Urdu. He also knew a lot about Indian culture and loved Shayari (Urdu poetry). He worked with famous filmmakers like Satyajit Ray in Shatranj Ke Khilari. People also remember his role as a British officer in the movie Kranti.
He even got to act with his idol, Rajesh Khanna, in the film Naukri (1978). Later, he played Lord Mountbatten in the 1993 film Sardar. This movie was about the events around India's independence. Tom also appeared in the Hollywood movie One Night with the King.
Famous Roles
Some of Tom Alter's most famous movie roles include:
His last film was Hamari Paltan, released in 2018 after his death.
Television Work
Tom Alter also appeared in many Indian television shows. People praised his acting in shows like Samvidhaan. In Zabaan Sambhalke, he played a British writer named Charles Spencers. This character lived in India and wanted to learn Hindi.
He also acted in Khamosh Sa Afsana and Yahan Ke Hum Sikandar. Many children remember him as the red robe guru in the popular TV show Shaktimaan. He also hosted a show called "Adabi Cocktail" where he interviewed many famous people.
Theatre Performances
Tom Alter was also a talented stage actor. In 1977, he started a theatre group called Motley Productions. He started it with Naseeruddin Shah and Benjamin Gilani. Their first play was Waiting for Godot, performed in 1979.
He acted in many other plays, including a one-man show where he played the Indian independence leader Maulana Azad. He also played the famous Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib in a play called Ghalib In Delhi.
Writing and Journalism
Besides acting, Tom Alter was also a writer and journalist. He wrote three books: The Longest Race, Rerun at Rialto, and The Best in the World.
He loved cricket and wrote a lot about the game. His articles appeared in many publications like Outlook and Firstpost. He even played cricket for a film industry team! In 1996, he did cricket commentary in Hindi for ESPN.
Tom Alter also directed a short episode for a TV series. Before he passed away, he had planned to direct his first full movie, Rerun at Rialto, based on his own book.
Personal Life
Tom Alter married Carol Evans in 1977. They had two children, a son named Jamie and a daughter named Afshaan. His son, Jamie, also became a cricket writer.
Tom was a big cricket fan himself. He wrote columns for newspapers for over ten years. He was also the first person to video interview the famous Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar in 1988.
In September 2017, Tom Alter was diagnosed with a serious type of skin cancer. He passed away on September 29, 2017, at his home in Mumbai. His family released a statement saying, "It is with sadness we announce the death of our beloved Tom Alter, actor, writer, director, Padma Shri, and our dear husband and father."
Images for kids
-
Alter in 2016
-
Tom Alter as Zafar
See also
In Spanish: Tom Alter para niños
