Beyond A Boundary

Though Hindi films stereotyped him, it was his love for Urdu and theatre that defined actor Tom Alter, who passed away last week

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A veteran of 300 films and almost a thousand appearances on stage, Alter was dogged by compliments for his Urdu.

The only sign that Tom Alter was ill was that Mahatma Gandhi had a thumb missing in the play, Mohan Se Mahatma, in July. “I had to amputate it. It was me, not Gandhi, who held the pen in two fingers to write My Experiments with Truth,” said the actor, the morning after he played MK Gandhi and Maulana Azad in two back-to-back shows at Delhi’s LTG auditorium.

Bollywood had typecast him as a firang but the stage stretched him better. He was God in Cyrus Dastur’s When God Said Cheers, Lucky in Motley’s adaptation of Waiting for Godot, and Bahadur Shah Zafar, as an emperor and as an exile in Sons of Babur and Lal Quile Ka Aakhiri Mushaira, respectively, both by Delhi-based Pierrot’s Troupe.

At the India International Centre, during one of his last interviews, with The Indian Express, Alter was less concerned with his untidy bed and more particular about his breakfast order. As he dug in, he also tore into major parties and partisan politics. “I was born in 1950, two years after Gandhi died. When we were growing up, he was all over the place. We saw him in all newspapers and news clips. I have a certain image of Gandhi in my mind,” he said, adding that he had played Gandhi in Yadi, based on the premise that the Father of the Nation was still alive. Alter’s ideas on politics looped in films and sports (“Of course, Gandhi made mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes, Virat Kohli makes mistakes”) and attempts to rewrite history (“A history that has never been written but actually happened, how can you rewrite that?”).

A veteran of 300 films and almost a thousand appearances on stage, Alter was dogged by compliments for his Urdu. The actor was of American-European descent, born in Mussoorie, to parents who were missionaries and had learnt Urdu. “He used to say, ‘If Urdu is not my mother tongue, it is my father tongue’. His father used to recite the Bible in Urdu. The Bible says, ‘Hum sab ek khuda ke bande hai’. He used to read that as ‘Hum sab ek khuda ke bandar hai’. He used to say, ‘This is more true’. God makes us dance as he wants,” says Dr M Sayeed Alam of Delhi-based Pierrot’s Troupe, who directed Alter in nine plays. For Intehaa, a series of readings of Mirza Ghalib’s poetry by Alter and Juhi Babbar, directed by Dastur, the veteran actor not only chose the poems but also translated these into English so that everybody could understand.

Alter gave a critically-acclaimed and nuanced portrayal as Maulana Azad, directed by Alam, which is the standard against which other plays on the freedom fighter are judged. He was Ghalib in an eponymous play, the narrator in KL Saigal, a poet of Persian, Munshi Har Gopal ‘Taftah’ in Ghalib Ke Khat, and the late psychoanalyst Wilfred Bion in The Becoming Room. “We performed When God Said Cheers across the length and breadth of the country in more than 400 shows and, everywhere, people came up to us to say they related to the play,” says Dastur. When God Said Cheers is about the Almighty coming to earth for a chat with Man, played by Dastur, over pints at a pub. “After the show, people used to come and touch his feet thinking he was god,” says Dastur.

In Delhi, members of the audience were convinced Alter had a physical resemblance to Maulana Azad/Bahadur Shah Zafar/Ghalib/Mahatma Gandhi. “I don’t like to spend a lot of time talking about the script. I prefer to read it, understand it and perform,” said Alter to The Indian Express.

“Something I learnt from him was that he never used to act. He used to feel the character. All those rules of characterisation that theatre pundits used to say seemed bekaar while watching Tom saab act. He was the Virendra Sehwag of Indian theatre,”
says Alam.

Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life. Professional Background Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint. Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series). Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season: 1. Climate & Environment "Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week. "How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site. "Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner. 2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage "Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle. "Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport. "The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle. 3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc" "Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema. "Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups. "How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor. Signature Style Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More

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