Cinemaazi remembers Tom Alter on his birth anniversary
22 Jun 1950
Thomas Beach Alter, popular as Tom Alter, an Indian-born character actor of American descent, spent his career playing Westerners in Hindi films. Alter was born on June 22, 1950, in Mussoorie, now in Uttarakhand. His parents, James Payne Alter and the former Barbara Beach were also missionaries. He and his older brother and sister were the third generations of Alters to live in India; his grandparents were Presbyterian missionaries who had moved from Ohio.
Tom graduated from the Woodstock School in 1968. He then attended Yale, but he dropped out after a year and a half to move back to India.
He liked Aradhana (1969) so much that he watched it thrice in a weeks time. The viewing marked a turning point in Tom Alter's life. He made up his mind to pursue a career in acting and headed to Film and Television Institute of India in Pune, where he enrolled from 1972 to 1974 under Roshan Taneja. He appeared in more than 300 films and a handful of television shows and plays. He spoke Hindi and Urdu fluently, making him a natural fit for roles like slick diplomats, British colonials, priests and police officers.
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Tom graduated from the Woodstock School in 1968. He then attended Yale, but he dropped out after a year and a half to move back to India.
He liked Aradhana (1969) so much that he watched it thrice in a weeks time. The viewing marked a turning point in Tom Alter's life. He made up his mind to pursue a career in acting and headed to Film and Television Institute of India in Pune, where he enrolled from 1972 to 1974 under Roshan Taneja. He appeared in more than 300 films and a handful of television shows and plays. He spoke Hindi and Urdu fluently, making him a natural fit for roles like slick diplomats, British colonials, priests and police officers.
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