Barry John Age, Wife, Family, Biography & More

 

Some Lesser Known Facts About Barry John

• Barry John is a British-Indian theatre director, actor, teacher, and writer. He is known as the mentor of many popular Bollywood actors including Shah Rukh Khan and Manoj Bajpayee.

• In an interview, Barry John recalled his growing up in the industrial city of Coventry and said that it was a rugged upbringing as it was a post-war era, and they have to live in temporary settlements, where the houses were made of asbestos. According to Barry John, he was the black sheep in the family, and he never asked for money from his parents. John further said that while studying in school, he was interested in music and theatres; however, his parents never took any interest in his interest, i.e., music and theatre. John was determined to follow his passion, and he started pursuing theatre evening classes, even before he turned 12, he started selling newspapers to fund his studies. ^[16]The Times of India

• In an interview, Barry revealed that during the retro era of classical music, he was so fascinated by India’s culture and classical music that he studied Upanishads, ^[17]The Times of India the most recent additions to the Vedas, which are further considered as the oldest known Hindu scriptures.

• According to Barry, while he was a student in college, he used to spend his vacations working as a labourer at a construction site at ‘Wimpy”s,’ where he used to prepare hamburgers, and at a steel factory, where he made meshes. ^[18]The Times of India Barry added that he never wanted to bother his parents for money and that’s why he tried to finance his studies and other expenses himself. ^[19]The Times of India

• In an interview, Barry revealed that his first play in college was ‘Kalidas,’ and the group used guitars instead of tablas in the play. ^[20]The Times of India Barry said,
  

  In fact, my first play in college was Kalidasa, for which we used guitars instead of tablas! In 1968, Pandit Ravi Shankar staged a concert at the Coventry Cathedral. I landed up in a kurta, with beads around my neck and long hair. The concert was mind-blowing.” ^[21]The Times of India

• Barry John’s fascination for India brought him to Bangalore, India at the age of 22, where he came across an advertisement about a vacancy for a teacher, and he was hired at a salary of Rs 200 per month. Barry John started teaching English literature; he would teach and do some radio programmes during the day and perform in theatres in the evenings. ^[22]The Times of India

• According to Barry, he shifted to Delhi in 1970. ^[23]The Times of India In an interview, Barry John revealed that he went through hard times in Delhi, where he lived in an under-construction building and joined the Yatrik theatre group, a resident company at the building of the Shriram Center; however, John was thrown out by the members of Shriram after a dispute. ^[24]The Times of India

• Reportedly, in 1973, Barry founded the ‘Theatre Action Group’ (TAG), which functioned till 1977. ^[25]The Times of India In the same year, he joined the National School of Drama, but he started working after three years. ^[26]The Times of India

• In association with TAG, Barry set up the foundation of ‘Nukkar,’ a theatre project for street and working children. ^[27]The Free Birds Collection – YouTube
  

  Barry John (centre) with the members of the group ‘Nukkar’

• According to Barry, he later moved to Mumbai and worked as an actor in films like ‘Shatranj Ke Khiladi’ (1977) and ‘Kissa Kursi Ka’ (1978); however, Barry was never assigned a lead or primary role in any film. ^[28]The Times of India In an interview, Barry revealed that he did not like politics in the film industry, and he realised that films weren’t meant for him. ^[29]The Times of India

• Barry John has appeared in other films like ‘Gandhi’ (1982), ‘Massey Sahib’ (1985), ‘Miss Beatty’s Children’ (1992), ‘Shaheed Udham Singh’ (2000), ‘Tere Bin Laden’ (2010), ‘Chittagong’ (2012), ‘M Cream’ (2014), and many more.
  

  Barry John as Police Superintendent in the film ‘Gandhi’ (1982)

  

  Barry John (right) as Vishnu Das in ‘M Cream’ – A still from the film

• According to Barry, he quit films and started working in theatres. ^[30]The Times of India While sharing one of his experiences from his performance in theatres, Barry, in an interview, revealed that he was once told by Feisal Alkazi, one of his friends, that his performance in a comic play was appreciated by former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. ^[31]The Times of India Barry added,
  

  In one scene, I wore only underpants and, in other scene, I was dressed as a woman, complete with wig and make-up!” ^[32]The Times of India

• Barry has worked in many theatrical productions such as ‘Othello: A Play in Black and White,’ directed by Roysten Abel, an internationally acclaimed play that won the Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival. ^[33]Barry John Acting Studio
  

  Barry John (extreme left) in the play ‘Othello: A Play in Black and White’

• Barry has taught acting to many popular Bollywood actors like Anupam Kher, Pankaj Kapoor, Annu Kapoor, Surekha Sikri, Manoj Bajpayee, Shah Rukh Khan, and many more. ^[34]Barry John Acting Studio
  

  Picture of Manoj Bajpayee (left) with Barry John (right)

  In an interview, Barry told that he met Shah Rukh Khan for the first time while he was carrying out auditions at Lady Shri Ram College in New Delhi. ^[35]The Times of India According to John, Shah Rukh Khan was a dancer at that time. ^[36]The Times of India Barry suggested him to give the audition as he wanted to be a part of the actual event that was going to happen. ^[37]The Times of India Barry described Shah Rukh Khan as a confident, talkative, and fast learner. ^[38]The Times of India

  

  Barry John (left) with Shah Rukh Khan (right) in an Indian talk show – ‘Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai’

• In an interview, Barry revealed that he met a ten-year-old boy through the Salaam Baalak Trust while working at a theatre workshop for Mira Nair’s film ‘Salaam Bombay.’ Barry also added that he supported his studies as a result of which he became a graphic artist. ^[39]The Times of India Barry said,
  

  I found my son through Mira Nair: Mira is a friend. I held my first theatre workshop for her film Salaam Bombay. Subsequently, the Salaam Baalak Trust, which supports street children, was formed. Through this trust, I met my son, around 15 years ago. He was 10 then and wanted to study — I have supported his education through school and college. He is a graphic artist and, last year, expressed the desire to marry this girl. But he was turned down by her family members — they called him a street-urchin and the child of a single parent. Nobody bothers to appreciate the fact that he is a self-made boy with strong values.” ^[40]The Times of India

• Barry once revealed on social media that there was some kind of confusion about his name being used in the name of the BJAS, an acting studio founded as ‘Imago School of Acting’ in 1997; the ‘Imago School of Acting’ was renamed ‘Barry John Acting Studio’ after the company moved to Mumbai. Barry made it clear that he was no longer associated with that organisation. ^[41]The Free Birds Collective Making it clear that he was not in any sort of collaboration with BJAS, Barry said,
  

  There is some confusion about BJAS. My name is still being used and abused by certain people in another organisation called BJAS but I’ve no contact with them. I’ve resigned from that company for various reasons.” ^[42]The Free Birds Collective

• After resigning from BJAS, Barry founded a performing arts school and named it ‘The Free Birds Collective.’ ^[43]The Free Birds Collective

• Reportedly, Barry has contributed to the introduction of Drama and Theatre as subjects by framing the syllabus for the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). ^[44]Barry John Acting Studio

• Barry John has written a handbook titled ‘Playing For Real: Using Drama in the Classroom,’ consisting of 178 drama exercises and games for actors.
  

  Barry John’s handbook ‘Playing For Real Using Drama in the Classroom’

• According to some sources, Barry John has bought a house in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, India. ^[45]The Indian Express
  

  Barry John at his home in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh