Tribute: Tom Alter, the lasting impression

Alumni and former Head of Acting Department at the prestigious Film Television Institute of India (FTII), veteran actor Tom Alter breathed his last on September 29 at 67. Eternally grateful to life that I was able to interact with the supremely talented artist one late night at FTII, the days I was assisting some friends who were aspiring filmmakers, actors, editors and sound engineers.  The year was 2006 when I was doing my finals at Fergusson College.

Alter was a huge fan of the first superstar in Hindi cinema, Kaka aka Rajesh Khanna and it was the time when the acting bug hit him like millions across India. Born to American missionaries in Mussoorie, the versatile actor joined the FTII where he had among his peers, stalwarts like Naseeruddin Shah and Benjamin Gilani, who went on to found the theatre group, Motley.

Image credit Google/ http://images.indulgexpress.com: Tom Alter

The most I remember about this impeccable artist was during my childhood and teens ushering into adulthood days, they are his various portrayals of the ruthless Angrez, be it in Kranti, Parinda, and Aashiqui, just to name a few. Don’t blame me when it came as a shock and surprise during one breezy and wintery Pune night to witness him speaking in Shuddh Hindi after our three days shoot was canned.

I was naturally bowled and amazed to see a ‘Gora’ speaking pure Hindi with ease and not diluted by Puneri or Mumbaiya slang. Unfortunately, some of the cliché roles that he played in some Hindi pot boilers made me ‘wrongly’ believe that he was a white man while the reality is that he breathed Indian in blood and soul since he was born and brought up in the country.

I remember him as someone who was very down-to-earth, showing no starry airs or the slightest arrogance. There was a certain simplicity about him and stood in awe at the man who was not only very much grounded but a towering persona that commands huge respect.

Struck as I was, Tom Alter Sir was passionate about cinema and of course, offering his inputs to the aspiring film-makers that we were and having an uncanny eye for detail by inquiring about the shoot. It was his firm belief that in the years to come, FTII will play a bigger role to shape the destiny of Indian cinema through the talents nurtured.

It was a brief conversation and recalled him saying in Hindi that he should go to Mumbai tomorrow (Saturday) but will be around. He shook hands with everyone and walked fast like a royalty cum Kingly warrior. His spoken Hindi was like flawless music to the ear and an artist painting an aesthetic gem on the wall. I could never forget seeing him walking away from us with poise, grace, and style.

I wonder how someone in a very short span of time can make such a lasting impression on the mind and when heard that he was in a coma, suffering from cancer, it brought a tinge of sadness harking back to those days.

There are so many of his films that I missed watching and intend to go back to Shatranj ke Khiladi, Shyam Benegal’s Samvidhaan, Junoon, Sardar, Gandhi, Charas and of course visiting Zabaan Sambhal ke.

Tom Saab, as he was known by people close to him in the industry, was the one who conducted the first television interview of cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, himself being a cricket buff bleeding blue. Many say that this all-rounder always wanted to portray on-screen Jim Corbett and of course, the hosting the Chunavi Chai show for the 2014 Lok Sabha that went on to become a huge hit. According to insiders, the man who served as director at FTII was a recluse and a private person that showed during my brief interaction with him, along with my friends who knew him well. Whether it’s playing Lucky in the play Waiting for Godot or his last appearance playing good friend Ruskin Bonde onscreen in The Black Cat, Tom Alter remains an institution of acting and legend that will serve as fodder for future generation of actors.

Shuddh Hindi and Urdu as his languages, Padma Shri Tom Alter was someone who I remember in this blink-and-eye meeting. There are people like this and perhaps unfulfilled wishes will find fruition in the sky and clouds. Rest in peace Sir for I am eternally grateful for having met such an admirable personality like you.

Love

V