Tom Alter (Born 1950)

Padmashri Tom Alter is an Indian actor born to American Presbyterian parents in Mussoorie, India. Being born and brought up in India, Tom developed an impeccable Hindi and Urdu accent to gain him entry into the Indian cinema and work with some of the much respected names in Indian cinema such as Satyajit Ray and Ismail Merchant. He completed his studies in Film and Television Institute of India, Pune and spent nearly seven years in Mumbai honing his Hindustani. Though very successful as a television and a film actor, Tom is also a successful writer. His works in writing include books like The Longest Race, Rerun at Rialto, and The Best in the World. Tom is an avid Cricket fan and a sports journalist. He has written extensively in journals like the Sportsweek, Outlook, Cricket talk, Sunday Observer, Debonair, etc. Tom is best known for his roles in legendary films like Shatranj ke Khiladi and Sardar.