Padma Shri actor, writer Tom Alter dies after long battle with cancer

Padma Shri awardee and veteran film, television and theatre actor, director and writer Tom Alter passed away on late Friday night after battling with stage four skin cancer. He was 67.

He was famously known for playing the gangster Keshav Kalsi in the hit soap opera 'Junoon', which ran for a record five years during the 1990s.

A native of Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, Alter was bestowed with Padma Shri for his service to the field of arts and cinema.

Apart from acting in over 300 movies apart from numerous TV shows, Alter was the first person to interview Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar for TV when the cricketer was yet to debut for India.

His sudden death has come as a huge shock to the Indian film fraternity.

Bollywood actress Nimrat Kaur took to Twitter and wrote, "Waking up to some tragic news about the passing away of Mr. Tom Alter. A one of a kind, grace personified, thorough gentleman. #RIPTomAlter"

Alter's first release was Ramanand Sagar's Charas in 1976. Among his notable roles are Satyajit Ray's Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Shyam Benega's Junoon, Manoj Kumar's magnum opus Kranti, Raj Kapoor's Ram Teri Ganga Maili, and Mahesh Bhatt's Aashiqui.

He also acted in several foreign films - Richard Attenborough's Gandhi and One Night with the King.