Tom Alter unplugged

How does a schoolteacher of American descent end up in Bollywood? In Tom Alter’s case, the story and performances of Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore in Aradhana is the answer. Before Aradhana, Alter, the son of American missionaries, had been happy teaching children at a mission school in the small town of Jagadhri in Haryana.

After the movie, he headed to the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. What followed was a unique career path for the blue-eyed sahib (as Alter came to be known), embracing everything from Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj Ke Khiladi to roles in Bheja Fry, Mangal Pandey and Veer-Zaara, all thanks to Alter’s perfect Hindi.Simultaneously, Alter pursued his other love – theatre. “It gives me a chance to talk about issues close to my heart,” he says. Which is why he is in Delhi these days with actors like Lushin Dubey and Immad Shah, rehearsing what’s being called India’s first indigenous concert theatre.

Titled Bring Down the Walls, the play is an exploration of freedom in 21st century India, through the journey of five characters in search of their individuality. Each character represents an issue that commonly disturbs and conflicts with the existing social order. Watching and tracing their development are two characters (Lushin and Alter) who represent the rebellion of the previous generation and thus give us a periodical window into either side of the establishment. The whole story is brought to life by a background score inspired by Pink Floyd’s The Wall.

Full report here Hindustan Times