Actor Tom Alter passes away at 67 after a long battle with skin cancer

An Indian actor of American descent Tom Alter passes away.

Veteran theater and film personality Tom Alter passed away at the age of 67 at his Mumbai residence on Saturday. The actor was suffering from called a squamous cell carcinoma (a type of skin cancer).

Tom Alter was battling stage four skin cancer at a Mumbai hospital, where he was admitted earlier in September.

He returned home on Thursday and breathed his last on Friday night, said manager Ismail Ansari.

Jamie Alter, Tom Alters Son, in an official statement said, “It is with sadness we announce the death of Tom Alter, actor, writer, director, Padma Shri, and our dear husband and father. Tom passed away Friday night at home with his family and close family members in attendance. We ask for their privacy to be respected at this time.”

An Indian actor of American descent, Tom Alter made his big screen debut in 1976 with a small role in Dharmendra-starrer Charas and later went on to work in films such as Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Gandhi, Kranti, Bose: The Forgotten Hero and Veer Zara. But it was his sitcom Zabaan Sambhalke (1993-1997) that made him a household name. The series, also starring Pankaj Kapoor, was the adaptation of British sitcom, Mind Your Language (1977).

The actor was admitted to hospital earlier this month after reporting serious body ache. His son had informed in earlier interviews that his condition was a relapse of the same thing which had happened last year and unfortunately, for various reasons, it was not detected at that time and has come back.

Tom Alter was also a part of other hit TV shows like Shaktiman and Captain Vyom, both extremely popular with kids. Alter’s last Bollywood film was director Imran Khan’s Sargoshiyan, which released earlier this year. Besides films and television, Alter’s presence in theatre has been noteworthy. His play, In Ghalib In Delhi, had many shows across the country. He played the lead role of celebrated poet Mirza Ghalib.

The actor is survived by his wife Carol Evans Alter and son  Jamie Alter.