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Tom Alter, the blue-eyed ‘saheb’ of Indian cinema, is no more

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The acclaimed actor, sports journalist, Padma Shri awardee and Urdu lover was recently diagnosed with skin cancer. He was 67

– By Puneet Nicholas Yadav

An acclaimed actor, sports journalist, Padma Shri awardee and Urdu lover, Tom Alter, is no more. The blue-eyed ‘saheb’ of Indian cinema, who portrayed a wide range of characters through his nearly four decade long acting career that saw him feature in over 300 films, was recently diagnosed with terminal stage of skin cancer and admitted to Mumbai’s Saifee Hospital. He passed away late on Friday night, surrounded with his family members. He was 67.

Born Thomas Beach Alter in Mussourie in 1950, Tom was an American through his family lineage. His grandparents were American missionaries who traveled from Ohio to preach, convert and teach in the part of Punjab that is now in Pakistan. His father, also a missionary, was born in Sialkot (now in Pakistan) and later settled in the Himalayan hill station of Mussourie. Tom went to the famous Woodstock School in Landour with other Americans, children of missionary parents, diplomats, business executives and other ‘settlers’ and later for a brief year-long stint to the prestigious Yale University in New Haven, USA.

But if you ever met the man, you could only risk calling him an American or non-Indian at your own peril. Tom was as Indian as an Indian can be and immensely proud of it. With his impeccable Hindi and flair for Urdu, Tom was quite the anti-thesis of that image of him that most Indian moviegoers are familiar with – that of the ‘gora’ villain, a foreign diplomat or British colonial – roles which typecasted him in Bollywood and for a period won him the moniker of Indian cinema’s ‘blue-eyed sahib’. But then those were roles.

Fiercely proud of his Indian identity, Tom would often speak – in what could turn into a gripping monologue unless he was interrupted – about the ‘idea of India’. The current political and social churning in the country wherein gau rakshaks, lynch-mobs, abusive right-wing trolls and political leaders who promptly advise anyone with views divergent to theirs to ‘go to Pakistan’ was something that affected Tom deeply and he worried about what we were transforming into as a nation. The concept of a Religious State is something Tom never missed to vociferously attack.

In an interview that the actor had given to this writer sometime in 2010, he had minced no words while comparing a Religious State with “the making of a pornographic film”.

In that interview – the substance of which is more relevant today than it perhaps ever was – Tom has said: “I have always held that without India and everything that it stands for the world will be destroyed. If we destroy the secular, democratic and free country that India is and become like other Religious States, the world would come to an end in not more than 25 years.”

“It’s too easy to run a Religious State where there is no freedom of expression or freedom to practice what religion you want to or the freedom to wear what you like. It’s as easy as making pornography. But then Religious States will disappear without a trace, no one will remember them for anything good, just as no one remembers names of any directors of pornography,” Tom had said.

The actor, who essayed the role of freedom fighter and India’s first education minister Maulana Azad on stage in the highly acclaimed play ‘Maulana’, believed that India’s real challenge today is to preserve its secular and democratic set up, traits that he believed had taken a beating over the years.

His pride in India aside, Tom was always just as passionate about the one thing that got him international acclaim and recognition – acting – a craft which, ironically, wasn’t his first love when he started off in life. He was more interested in sports, cricket in particular, and pursued a simultaneous career as a sports writer in the 1980s and 1990s even when big roles in films began coming his way. He was the first person to interview Sachin Tendulkar for a television channel in the 1980s, much before the cricketer earned his iconic status. His love for cricket stayed with him till the end. When this writer met him in Bhopal a couple of year ago – where he had come to perform Maluana to a packed audience at the Ravindra Bhavan – Tom had admitted that he missed writing on sports as often as he would like.

Tom had started off as a teacher in a hamlet called Jagadri in Haryana at the age of 19 and in those days rarely watched Hindi films. But then that same year, almost like the script of a good Bollywood film, his life took a sudden turn when he saw the then reigning superstar of India, Rajesh Khanna, romancing the stunning Sharmila Tagore in the cult film Aradhana that had released in September 1969.

Tom would often remark – “I saw Aradhna over and over again and was in love with Rajesh Khanna. I wanted to become Rajesh Khanna. I packed up my stuff and decided to quit my teaching role in Jagadri and move to Mumbai”.

In 1972, Tom became one of only three aspirants – the other two being actor Benjamin Gilani and Phunsok Ladakhi – to be selected from a batch of over 800 candidates from across north and central India to get selected for the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. Tom’s talent in acting was evident during his stint at FTII from where he passed out in 1974, winning a gold medal in his acting diploma course. At the FTII, he struck a close bond with Naseeruddin Shah. Tom, Naseeruddin Shah and Benjamin Gilani would go on to form the theatre troupe- Motley – in 1979.

After the initial struggle to find his feet in the fiercely competitive world of Bollywood where he had no godfather, Tom got a break in Ramanand Sagar’s 1976 production, Charas, in which he played actor Dharmendra’s ‘firang’ boss. Dharmendra was already a huge deal among Indian cinemagoers then but Tom managed to make a mark and was noticed by other directors and producers who began offering him roles – though largely of the same sort – that of a ‘gora’ character. This stereotype of playing the ‘blue-eyed saheb’ would break only occasionally, particularly in films like Raj Kapoor’s Ram Teri Ganga Maili or Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Parinda in which he played pivotal roles and as an Indian character.

Through his career, Tom worked with leading actors, producers and directors – the likes of Chetan Anand, Dev Anand, V Shantaram, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Manmohan Desai, Shyam Benegal and Subhash Ghai, Mahesh Bhatt, Ketan Mehta, Priyadarshan and even Satyajit Ray. Offers of working in foreign productions too came along and Tom did pick up roles in Richard Attenborough’s Oscar-winning film Gandhi and the Peter O’Toole starrer One Night with the King.

While his acting resume expanded with each passing year, Tom also ventured into theatre giving audiences stellar, mind-blowing performances in plays like Ghalib ke Khat, Maulana (both in chaste Urdu), Lal Qile ka Aakhri Mushaira, Trisanga, Teesveen Shatabdi, Copenhagen and the City of Djinns.

But unlike several Indian actors – like his dear friend Naseeruddin Shah – who are associated with both theatre and cinema, Tom never took a dim view of the Indian film industry. “Whatever I am today is because of the roles – even the bad ones – that I got in Indian movies. I can never, ever disown the Indian film industry or criticise it”, Tom told this writer once.

When asked if he regretted not having become a ‘star’ in Indian cinema despite his indisputable talent, Tom had said: “You need that flair to present yourself, market your work. Theatre actors don’t do that.” When this writer asked him if he lacked the ‘flair’, Tom had candidly replied: “I think I did have the flair but I made some wrong decisions in the beginning of my career. Also there were some films I did which unfortunately never released. Had they released perhaps they could have pushed me in a different league. But I have no regrets.”

A question that Tom would hate being asked was “how are you so good with Urdu”. For a layman who wasn’t familiar with Tom’s body or work or his upbringing, this might seem an obvious question given the ‘colour’ of Tom’s skin. But Tom would almost lose his famous temper (if he was in one of those moods) or have some witty repartee for such a question.

“I learnt Urdu as a child. Everyone spoke in Urdu where we lived,” he had once told this writer. Tom’s father was well versed with Urdu and even read the Bible in the language – something that Tom followed too. Tom would pick up Urdu books, dictionaries (though one felt that he never really needed them because he understood the language better than even some Urdu scholars) and poetry whenever he got a chance, and would get extremely agitated by anyone who ignorantly associated the language with Pakistan.

“Gandhiji gave the language a beautiful name- Hindustani. He learnt the language and its script. He even wanted all members of the Congress to learn both Devanagari and Urdu scripts… The Pakistanis today say Urdu is their national language. I tell them are you mad! How can Urdu be the language of the Pakistanis? The language was born in India, in Delhi,” this writer remembers Tom telling an interviewer once.

Tom had some quirks too and the most irritating one for the people who knew him was his extremely stubborn dislike for mobile phones – “I hate the damn thing” – he would often say when asked why he didn’t have a cellphone or told that it was difficult to get in touch with him. He felt that mobile phones had connected people from far-flung regions but had also “taken away emotions, inter-personal relations and the ‘tameez’ of a conversation”.

Tom’s calming presence, his vibrant performances, his idealism and his quirks will be missed by anyone who knew him. Rest in peace, Tom Alter, the Indian sahib.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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RJD slams PM Modi over his unfulfilled promise to revive Bihar sugar mills

She sarcastically asked, “Why did he not fulfill his own promise? Has he developed diabetes?”

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The RJD on Saturday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his unfulfilled promise to revive sugar mills in Bihar and wondered whether the Prime Minister has given up on his promise because of diabetes.

RJD MP Misa Bharti humorously remarked on PM Modi’s unfulfilled commitment to enjoy tea sweetened with sugar from Bihar’s sugar mills, which have remained inactive for many years.

Bharti, the eldest daughter of RJD leader Lalu Prasad, asserted that the sugar industry in Bihar has not been revived so far and questioned whether Modi had abandoned his promise due to diabetes.

“The PM is enjoying his third consecutive term in office and has not fulfilled any of the promises he made before ascending to power,” she stated, emphasising her disappointment as a resident of Bihar who recalls Modi’s grand declarations about revitalizing the state’s sugar mills.

She sarcastically asked, “Why did he not fulfill his own promise? Has he developed diabetes?”

Responding to media inquiries, Bharti also dismissed the concept of “One nation one poll” as a “shigoofa” (gimmick) from the Modi government, arguing that they struggle to conduct elections in four states simultaneously, let alone nationwide.

Her comment referenced the Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand occurring after recent elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir.

Affiliated with the INDIA coalition, Bharti expressed confidence in the alliance’s success in upcoming Assembly elections and by-polls. Additionally, she condemned derogatory comments made by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant against a candidate from Eknath Shinde’s faction, asserting that “no offensive remarks should be made about a woman, even if she is a rival.”

Furthermore, she criticised inflammatory statements from Union Minister Giriraj Singh during the Hindu Swabhiman Yatra, saying it is “appalling” that a Union Minister could incite violence without facing repercussions.

Bharti also raised concerns about the BJP’s silence regarding a new political outfit formed by former Union Minister RCP Singh, who had transitioned to the BJP after being ousted from Nitish Kumar’s JD(U).

She took issue with Prashant Kishor, the Jan Suraaj founder, for making commitments that he never asked BJP and Nitish Kumar to fulfill while he was managing their campaign.

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India condemns Canada’s allegations against Amit Shah, calls it baseless

“Such irresponsible actions will have serious consequences for bilateral ties,” said the MEA.

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India on Saturday condemned the recent allegations made by the Canadian government against Amit Shah that he was purportedly involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, calling it absurd and baseless.

Addressing a press conference, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India had summoned the Canadian High Commissioner yesterday to protest in the strongest terms for the references made to the Union Home Minister of India before the Committee by Canada’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison.

On Tuesday, Morrison claimed that Shah orchestrated a campaign of violence, intimidation, and intelligence-gathering aimed at Sikh separatists on Canadian soil. He informed members of Canada’s national security committee in Parliament that he had confirmed Shah’s name to The Washington Post, which was the first to report the allegations. However, Morrison did not provide details on how Canada became aware of Shah’s alleged involvement.

Jaiswal said the revelation that high Canadian officials deliberately leak unfounded insinuations to the international media as part of a conscious strategy to discredit India and influence other nations only confirms the view that the government of India has long held about the current Canadian government’s political agenda and behavioural pattern.

“Such irresponsible actions will have serious consequences for bilateral ties,” said the MEA.

On the reports of a cancelled Diwali celebration, Jaiswal said, “We have seen some reports in this regard. It is unfortunate that the prevailing atmosphere in Canada has reached high levels of intolerance and extremism.”

He also spoke on the reduction in the number of Visas by the Canadian government and said the ministry has been monitoring the well-being of Indian students and professionals who are working in Canada. “Our concern for their safety and security remains strong,” he added.

The Ministry of External Affairs said some of its Consular officials were recently informed by the Canadian government that they have been and continue to be under audio and video surveillance as well as their communications have also been intercepted. “We have formally protested to the Canadian Government as we deem these actions to be a flagrant violation of relevant diplomatic and consular conventions,” the Ministry said.

By citing technicalities, the Canadian government cannot justify the fact that it is indulging in harassment and intimidation, Jaiswal said, adding that India’s diplomatic and consular personnel have already been functioning in an environment of extremism and violence.

He said such action of the Canadian government aggravates the situation and is incompatible with established diplomatic norms and practices.

Regarding the sanction of 19 Indian companies, Jaiswal noted that India has a robust legal and regulatory framework on strategic trade and non-proliferation controls.

India is also a member of three key multilateral non-proliferation export control regimes – the Vasinar Arrangement, the Australia Group and the Missile Technology Control Regime, and has been effectively implementing relevant UNSC sanctions and UNSC Resolution 1540 on non-proliferation, he added.

“Our understanding is that the sanction, transactions and companies are not in violation of Indian laws. Nevertheless, in keeping with India’s established non-proliferation credentials, we are working with all the relevant Indian departments and agencies to sensitize Indian companies on applicable export control provisions and also inform them of new measures being implemented that could impact Indian companies in certain circumstances,” the MEA said.

Regarding deportations from the United States, Jaiswal noted, “We have a consistent dialogue with the United States concerning migration and mobility, aimed at establishing more avenues for legal migration. As part of our ongoing consular arrangements, we have facilitated the movement of individuals who are residing in the United States illegally. This collaboration has been in effect for some time, and we anticipate that through our engagement with the United States on mobility and migration, we can work to deter illegal immigration.”

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Hemant Soren urges PM Modi to clear Jharkhand’s Rs 1.36 lakh crore coal dues

“I would also appeal to my BJP colleagues, especially the MPs, to help Jharkhandis in getting our dues,” Soren posted on X, sharing a copy of a letter to the Prime Minister.

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Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to clear Rs 1.36 lakh crore coal dues to the state.

PM Modi and Shah are scheduled to visit poll-bound Jharkhand. The Prime Minister will address two rallies on November 4 while Shah will address three public meetings on November 3.

In a post on X, Soren said, “The PM and the home minister are coming to Jharkhand. I once again request them with folded hands to clear the outstanding (coal dues) of Rs 1.36 lakh crore to Jharkhandis. This amount is crucial for Jharkhand.” Soren also appealed to BJP MPs to facilitate clearance of the amount.

Soren stressed that the outstanding payments owed by central public sector undertakings, particularly Coal India, are legitimate entitlements of Jharkhand and argued that “the delay in payment is causing irreparable harm to the state’s development.”

“I would also appeal to my BJP colleagues, especially the MPs, to help Jharkhandis in getting our dues,” Soren posted on X, sharing a copy of a letter to the Prime Minister.

In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, he stated, “I, Hemant Soren, the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, would like to bring to your attention a grave issue that is obstructing the development of our state. Our dues from coal companies amount to Rs 1.36 lakh crore.”

He added that, despite legal provisions and judicial verdicts, coal companies have failed to make any payments. “These issues have been raised at various forums, including your esteemed office, the Finance Ministry, and NITI Aayog, yet the compensation of Rs 1.36 lakh crore remains unpaid,” Soren mentioned.

A recent decision by a nine-judge Supreme Court bench reaffirmed the state’s right to collect its mining and royalty dues. Soren pointed out that the non-payment of these dues is hindering vital socio-economic projects in Jharkhand, which is already an under-developed state.

“Numerous socio-economic development projects are being stalled due to the non-payment of our legitimate claims,” he noted.

Last month, he proposed a direct debit arrangement from Coal India’s account to the state, similar to what was established for the Jharkhand State Electricity Board’s dues to the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC).

“This continued delay in addressing our rightful demands has compelled me to reach out to you, as this negligence inflicts irreparable damage on Jharkhand and its people. Many social sector initiatives in education, health, women’s and child development, clean drinking water, and last-mile connectivity cannot be implemented due to insufficient funding,” Soren asserted.

He previously accused the central government of being indifferent to the challenges faced by the state, drawing attention to the unequal treatment regarding outstanding dues. The Jharkhand Assembly elections are set to take place in two phases on November 13 and 20, with vote counting scheduled for November 23.

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