Tom Alter in the play Ghalib Ke Khat

"It's a labour of love," says Tom Alter as he chats with us on the phone from Goa. The 66-year-old actor is embarking on a marathon of performances, where over 17 continuous days, he will bring to life a gamut of historical figures - from the Mahabharata to the Mughals and the modern times - for the theatre festival, Jashn-e-Mazi: The Play of History.