Published date: 19th Sept 1974, Hi Newspaper

An American who acts in Hindi movies? And who’s Indian except for his fair skin and blond hair? “I don’t believe it” was the reaction of most people who met Tom Alter at the recent screening of diploma films arranged by Mr. Girish Karnad, the Director of the Film and Television of India, at Bombay. But these doubters de believe when they listen to Tom’s fluent Hindi and hear of the Gold Medal he won in this year’s graduation awards.

“I don’t think it’s amazing,” says Tom. “I relate to Indians more than I do to Americans. I was born here and bred here, and my best friends are Indians. I learnt Hindi before I spoke English well. And I just can’t imagine leaving India, ever.” Someone asked him whether he thought he’d make it big in Hindi movies. “I know most producers may have to tailor their stories to fit me in. I might get roles like a British army officer, or a judge. But I’ll accept any good roles I am offered, which have ‘depth’. I’ve become part of this country now, and of the Indians and
their chemistry and culture. So whatever happens, I wont leave India.”

Tom was born in Mussoorie, Uttar Pradesh, where his parents were missionaries. He did his schooling at the Woodstock School there. He often went to the States with his parents when they were on furlough, but always felt like returning soon, “because this was my scene.” After school, Tom tried studying in an American University, but studying rubbed off on him. Then he came back to India and taught the children of Village Jagathri in Haryana for a while be fore taking up a job at his old school Woodstock.

Why did he join the Film and Television Institute? Tom said that when he found himself without a job in 1972, he decided to apply for the acting course in the T.I.L. Wasn’t, it a strange decision to make?” “Strange? I’ve lived in India nearly all my life and I don’t think it’s strange! I never used to see Hindi movies at Woodstock. But when I was at Jagathri I was the only foreigner there, and as there were no English movies showing, I got to see a lot of Hindi pictures. I gradually came to like them, and it became a sort of dream to act in them, one day. I was embarrassed to tell people I’d applied for the acting course though…
Tom was soon invited for the audition tests in Delhi, and was one of the few people to be selected from the 650 hopefuls who had flocked there to try their luck. When he didn’t get the telegram giving him the date.