Birthday Special: Two Paths, One Destination; Inspirational Journeys of Tom Alter and Amrish Puri

Birthday Special: Tom Alter and Amrish Puri were not merely artists; they defined art itself. This birthday special explores the inspiring stories of these passionate artists.

Tom Alter-Amrish Puri Birthday: When acting becomes one's passion and art is revered, artists like Tom Alter and Amrish Puri emerge. Both began their journeys on different paths, but their destination was the same—to leave an imprint on the audience's hearts.

Tom Alter was born on 22 June 1950 in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, while Amrish Puri was born on 22 June 1932 in Nawanshahr, Punjab. Both share the same birthdate, 22 June, but the depth of their characters and performances sets them apart.

Amrish Puri is mostly remembered for his powerful villainous roles—Mogambo in ‘Mr. India’, Major Ashraf Ali in ‘Gadar’, and Bhairo Nath in ‘Nagina’. His voice and screen presence alone were enough to make any scene memorable.

Audiences often saw Tom Alter as British officers, elderly guides, or Urdu-speaking scholars. He was not only a superb actor but also a profound connoisseur of the Urdu language.

One thing both had in common was their theatrical beginnings. They brilliantly translated the nuances learned on stage to the silver screen.

Furthermore, both possessed powerful voices and unique styles of dialogue delivery that resonated with fans. Amrish Puri’s strong, resonant voice commanded any scene, while Tom Alter’s calm and clear speaking style touched people deeply. Both were deeply connected to Indian culture. Tom Alter was well-versed in Hindi and Urdu and had authored several books. Amrish Puri also showed interest in social and cultural work outside of films. Hard work, simplicity, and dedication to acting were common traits in both actors.

Tom Alter’s Cinematic Journey

Regarding his career, Tom Alter acted in over 300 films, including Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Telugu, and Tamil language films. He began his film career in 1976 with Ramanand Sagar’s ‘Charas’. He later worked in films like ‘Parvarish’ and ‘Hum Kisise Kum Nahin’ and also did dubbing for the film ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’. He played powerful roles in several major films by filmmaker Satyajit Ray, including ‘Shatranj Ke Khiladi’ and ‘Sardar’.

On television, he appeared in shows like ‘Shaktimaan’, ‘Zabaan Sambhal Ke’, and ‘Yahan Ke Hum Sikander’. He breathed life into memorable plays like ‘Ghalib in Delhi’ and ‘Maulana’ in the theatre. He was also a writer and journalist and a great cricket enthusiast. He even took Sachin Tendulkar’s first video interview. Tom Alter always won people's hearts with his acting, speaking style, and profound thoughts.

Amrish Puri’s Work in Over 450 Films

Amrish Puri worked in over 450 films between 1967 and 2005. Notably, most of his films were hits, but his success wasn't easy. Before entering films, he held a government job and started his acting career in theatre. Amrish Puri gained real recognition with the 1980 film ‘Hum Paanch’, where he played a villain for the first time. After that, he played memorable villains in superhit films like ‘Vidhaata’, ‘Hero’, and ‘Mr. India’, which are still remembered today. He also worked in the Hollywood film ‘Indiana Jones’.

After 1990, he took on many positive roles, such as in ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, ‘Virasat’ and ‘China Gate’. His acting was so powerful that whether he played positive or negative roles, he infused life into every character.