It’s 2017 and I am still called the Angrez

"Tareekh sirf aur sirf fatheheen ki likhi jaati hai,” (History only writes the account of the victorious) a dejected Bahadur Shah Zafar tells Rudranath Mitra, a history student and admirer of Zafar, in the Salman Khursheed play 'Babur Ki Aulad'. On stage, we have actor Tom Alter playing the forgotten Mughal emperor, speaking impeccable Urdu.
Till date, Alter has essayed almost 55 different historical characters, including Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Lord Mountbatten, Mahatma Gandhi, Saadat Hasan Manto, Mirza Ghalib and so on, on stage as well as in films.Yet, the audience remembers Alter as the quintessential Englishman in Hindi cinema. “I’ve worked in more than 400 films so far, of which, I have played the role of Britisher in 10 films. It’s 2017 and I am still called the Angrez,” a dejected Alter says. It is a late evening, lashed with rains when we found him lounging at The Flour Works, a city cafe, a piping hot cuppa in hand.
Urdu shayari and Maulana Azad
Alter’s love for Urdu is well-known. In Satyajit Ray’s 'Shatranj Ke Khiladi', as captain Weston, a young Alter is seen reciting Urdu shayari in front of General James Outram, played by Richard Attenborough. “While growing up we spoke both in English and Urdu at home, so Urdu has always been a language close to my heart,” confesses Alter.
Like Urdu, Alter also received the admiration for Maulana Azad as a legacy from his father. “My father was a great admirer of Maulana Azad. He witnesses our country’s struggle for freedom and was a part of the family torn by the Partition. During dinner conversation, he fondly spoke of Azad, and may be those conversations stayed with me for a long time and have helped me essay Azad,” informs Alter. He has portrayed Azad numerous times; including the titular character in Dr Saeed Alam’s directorial for past 15 years, as well as the Rajya Sabha mini TV series 'Samvidhaan', which was directed by Shyam Benegal.
Acting, FTII and passing on the baton
Although born in a family of missionaries and priests, Alter chose to become an actor. It was Alter’s love for Rajesh Khanna which made him decide to take up acting. “I used to act in school plays, but it never occurred to me that I could be an actor. Then I saw Rajesh Khanna in 'Aradhana'. I was left mesmerised by the man’s acting,” says Alter. He then goes on to describe that in a single shot song sequence of 'Roop Tera Mastana' (Aradhana), Rajesh Khanna barely moves or touches Sharmila Tagore, yet the sensuousness of the moment is expressed through Khanna’s eyes.
Alter then chose to audition for Film and Television Institute (FTII), then known as Prabhat Studios for admission. “Out of the 1000 students who turned up that day in Delhi, only two students were chosen to be admitted in the institute, Benjamin Gilani and myself.” Alter then came to Pune for his course.
He now teaches at his alma mater. “I guide those students,” he corrects us. He visibly cringes at the way millennials have taken technology for granted, which reflects in their approach to acting. “The talent is stupendous, but will they last for 30-40 years in the industry? Who knows? They want to be successful in 20 days, not years. Look at Naseer (Naseeruddin Shah); he works equally hard in each film, it has been 40 years now. But the generation today thinks that having a great physique, good looks, social media presence, a good PR agency is more important than the passion for acting. It’ll help you get work, but it won’t keep you in the industry,” says Alter.
“The industry has always been the same,” says Alter, without mentioning the word nepotism, adding, “but the avenues for these new generation actors is 100 times more than us. They have films, short films, web series, television, modelling, dance videos, theatre…a tremendous number of avenues. What keeps getting you work is your one-on-one relationships. Why do you think Ajay Devgn and Rohit Shetty gel so well? Ajay’s father Viru was a stunt director while Rohit’s father Shetty was a famous stunt man in the industry. The two men grew up knowing each together through their respective fathers.” He cites the example of one of his students Rajkkumar Rao, who has been a great find for the industry in the current generation. “He get’s his work through his one-on-one relationships in the industry. Getting work is part luck, part talent.”
For the love of theatre
Known as a theatre actor, Alter’s last appearance in Pune was in November last year as the eponymous old man in 'Old Man and The Sea: A Whispered Fable'. He promises to come back with his ambitious project on the life of late psychoanalyst Wilfred Bion. Called 'The Changing Room', the play is based on Bion’s biography 'A Memoir Of The Future'. “This is based on a film that never took off. I played Bion’s father in the film. So in this play, we use the clips from the film, and you can see me as an old Bion on stage, with me as Bion’s father in the background, on screen. It’s very draining play, with most of the scenes being dream sequences, so I don’t know if many people would like to watch it, but I’d love to stage it for a more intimate audience, may be at Jyotsna Bhole Hall,” says Alter, before walking off to start his talk at the cafe.