Tom Alter's final project, Andamans — Jewels of the Sea, revived as TV series to be aired on Epic

Tom Alter , the Indian actor of American descent who succumbed to skin cancer on 29 September 2017, had filmed a documentary exploring the Andamans. The project, titled Andamans—Jewels of the Sea, has been revived as a TV series.

Ganesh Shankar Raj, the director-producer of the TV series told Mumbai Mirror in an interview that apart from the North and South Andamans, it has widely explored Ross Island, the area used as a base by the British to rule over the island, and travel through forests inhabited by the local tribes.

Besides this, the Andaman jail, the Havelock and Neill Islands were also a subject of Tom Alter’s narrative. Raj also shared how the late actor would mouth off impromptu lines and come up with new ideas on the spot.

Further, the director said that the 15-member-team took over a period of four months to film the underwater portions battling the unpredictable weather of the Andamans. The initial plan of wrapping up the shoot in 20 days was extended by another 10 days because during the rains, vessels do not operate in the rough sea.

Raj also believes that the film would enable young people to gain knowledge about Andamans. “The film is a part of his legacy; the younger generation is also familiar with him. Besides, the Andamans is such a beautiful place but many Indians still ask if they need a passport to go there. So, we thought it would be the right time to educate youngsters about this island they must visit at least once in their lifetime. This project is also a tribute to Tom.” he was quoted by Mumbai Mirror.

Tom Alter’s Andamans—Jewels of the Sea will be aired on Epic.