Watch: Sachin Tendulkar`s first television interview with Tom Alter

New Delhi: Actor Tom Alter, 67, who was fighting skin cancer, died in Mumbai on Saturday morning. 

A statement released on behalf of his family said, "It is with sadness we announce the death of Tom Alter, actor, writer, director, Padma Shri, and our dear husband and father." 

Alter was taken to Saifee Hospital earlier this month with stage four skin cancer, for which he had been treated earlier and which had relapsed. 

Alter worked in film, television and theatre.

However, not many know that Alter was a sports lover as well. In fact, it was him who produced Sachin Tendulkar's first video interview when the latter was just 15-years-old.

Recently, Alter spoke about the video and recalled how Dilip Vengsarkar introduced him to the teen sensation who was practising with the Bombay (now Mumbai) team.

"I clearly remember the interaction. It was his first video interview. I wouldn’t say he was naive but rather innocent and soft-spoken. Though a little shy in front of the camera, the boy was very confident without being a show-off," Alter recalled the event in an interview with Times of India.

Watch the interview here:

The late actor was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in the year 2008. 

Sports was his first love and he wanted to be a cricketer. Alter has also written columns on cricket.