Tom Alter acted in over 300 movies and many TV shows (Image courtesy: Tom Alter)
Highlights
- Rishi Kapoor co-starred with Tom Alter in Hum Kisise Kum Naheen
- "RIP. My friend and colleague Tom Alter. Bless you!," wrote Rishi Kapoor
- Anil Kapoor remembered Mr Alter as an 'all-rounder, with a heart of gold'
Noted actor
Tom Alter lost his battle against skin cancer at his Mumbai residence on Friday night. He was 67. As soon as the news of his death was announced, President of India Ram Nath Kovind and Bollywood celebrities mourned the loss of a great actor and bid a fond farewell to him on social media. Twitter is flooded with messages of grief and among those who posted their tributes to Tom Alter was his
Hum Kisise Kum Naheen co-star Rishi Kapoor, who shared a picture featuring Mr Alter on Twitter and wrote, "RIP. My friend and colleague Tom Alter. Bless you!" Anil Kapoor, who co-starred with Tom Alter in films like
Parinda and
Karma, remembered the late actor as an 'all-rounder, with a heart of gold.' "Back in the day, I even studied acting under him. You will be missed dearly #TomAlter," he tweeted.
See their tweets here:
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who helmed films like
Aashiqui,
Junoon and
Gumrah, featuring Mr Alter in pivotal role, tweeted, "Goodbye to you my trusted friend!! Actor Tom Alter, a Padma Shri awardee, dies of cancer at 67."
Riteish Deshmukh, who had the privilege of working with Tom Alter in 2015 movie
Bangistan, said he "will always remember him for his humility and kindness."
Arjun Kapoor recounted his 'fondest childhood memories' of seeing Mr Alter on TV show
Zabaan Sambhalke.
Huma Qureshi, Nimrat Kaur and singer Mohit Chauhan were also among the celebrities who posted their tributes to Tom Alter on social media.
A statement released on behalf of Tom Alter's family said, "It is with sadness we announce the death of Tom Alter, actor, writer, director, Padma Shri, and our dear husband and father," reported news agency IANS.
Tom Alter was of American descent and a native of Mussoorie, where he grew up. He studied at Woodstock School in Mussoorie and later pursued a course in acting at Film and Television Institute of India in Pune.
Tom Alter has featured in over 300 films. He is best known for his work in Satyajit Ray's
Shatranj Ke Khiladi and
Kranti. He has also worked in successful films like
Aashiqui,
Junoon,
Parinda,
Ram Teri Ganga Maili and
Gandhi.
Tom Alter also featured in Hollywood film
One Night with the King with Peter O'Toole.
Tom Alter also featured in TV shows like
Zabaan Sambhalke,
Bharat Ek Khoj,
Betaal Pachisi,
Captain Vyom and
Shaktimaan.
Mr Alter was last seen in
Sargoshiyan, co-starring Alok Nath and Farida Jalal. He also appeared on the TV show
Rishton Ka Chakravyuh.
In 2008, Tom Alter was awarded Padma Shri by the government.
Tom Alter authored several books and also wrote columns on cricket for several publications.
Mr Alter married Carol Evans in 1977 and is survived by his wife, son Jamie and daughter Afshaan.
(With IANS inputs)