News Articles from 2007
Bollywood actor on the Kingston stage
The Mayor, Councillor Shiraz Mirza, welcomed Bollywood star, Tom Alter, to the Guildhall on Tuesday 11 March.
The renowned actor of stage and screen was in the Royal Borough as part of a flying visit to the UK, during which he hosted the Bollywood Sparkles event presented by Global Arts at Rose Theatre on Saturday 8 March.
Tom Alter was born in India to American parents. He studied in America and in India and has acted in more than 250 Hindi films and 50 TV serials, including the long-running Junoon. In the 1993 film biography of Indian leader Sardar Patel, Tom Alter portrayed Lord Mountbatten during the events surrounding the partition and independence of India, and in the Hollywood film One Night with the King he and acted alongside Peter O'Toole.
In addition to his extensive stage and screen career, Tom Alter also compares shows, commentates, writes, and is a successful sports journalist with a passion for cricket. He was recently awarded the Padma Shri, one of India's top honours, for his distinguished contribution in the field of art. This will be presented to him by the President of India in May.
Commenting after Mr Alter’s visit to Kingston, the Mayor, said: “It was a great pleasure to meet Tom Alter, who has excelled in so many areas of the arts. He was the perfect compare for the Bollywood Sparkles event, using his bi-lingual abilities to keep everyone involved and entertained throughout.
I was delighted that he was able to squeeze a visit to the Guildhall into his busy schedule in the UK. I also enjoyed having a brief chat about our shared love …..cricket!.”
During his UK visit he also gave a performance at Trinity College, Cambridge of Maulana Azad, the acclaimed Urdu play recounting the life of one of India's independence heroes and an inspirational Minister for Education.