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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2014}}
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{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name                 = Barry John
| name           = Barry John
| image                 =  
| image           = Barryjohn.jpg
| imagesize             =  
| imagesize       =  
| alt                   =  
| alt             =  
| caption               = Barry John
| caption         =  
| birth_name             =  
| birth_name     =  
| birth_date             = {{Birth-date and age|1946}}
| birth_date     = {{Birth-date and age|1944}}
| birth_place           = [[Coventry]], England, United Kingdom
| birth_place     = [[Coventry]], England
| death_date             = <!-- {{Death date and age|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} Death date then birth -->
| death_date     = <!-- {{Death date and age|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} Death date then birth -->
| death_place           =  
| death_place     =  
| othername             =  
| othername       =  
| occupation           = Theatre director, actor, designer, writer, teacher  
| occupation     = Theatre director, actor, designer, writer, teacher
| years_active           =  
| years_active   =  
| spouse               =  
| spouse         =  
| domesticpartner       =  
| domesticpartner =  
| website               = https://www.instagram.com/thefreebirdscollective/
| website         = {{url|https://www.instagram.com/itsbarryjohn}}
}}
}}
'''Barry John''' (born 1946) is a [[United Kingdom|British]]-born, [[India]]n theatre director and teacher, who was the Founder-Director of 'Theatre Action Group' (TAG) (1973), one of the early theatre groups based in [[Delhi]].
'''Barry John''' (born 1944) is a British-born, Indian theatre director and teacher. BARRY JOHN has resigned from "BARRY JOHN ACTING STUDIO" for various reasons. Now he is the face of "The Free Birds Collective" an actor training institute in Mumbai. He was the Founder-Director of 'Theatre Action Group' (TAG) (1973), one of the early theatre groups based in [[Delhi]].


In 1997, he launched Imago Media Company, along with Sanjay Sujitabh, and also started Imago Acting School in Delhi, both of which moved to [[Mumbai]] in March 2007. The school also got him recognition, as some of the alumni went on to become [[Bollywood]] actors, including [[Shah Rukh Khan|Shahrukh Khan]], [[Manoj Bajpai]], [[Sushant Singh Rajput]], [[Dulquer Salman]]<ref> https://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/interview-sushant-singh-rajput-on-his-fallout-with-aditya-chopra-and-his-shah-rukh-khan-hangover-2453946</ref> [[Samir Soni]] and [[Shiney Ahuja]],<ref>[http://www.hindustantimes.com/News/artandculture/Theatre-is-at-an-all-time-low-in-Delhi/Article1-214549.aspx 'Theatre is at an all-time low in Delhi'] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606102630/http://www.hindustantimes.com/News/artandculture/Theatre-is-at-an-all-time-low-in-Delhi/Article1-214549.aspx |date=6 June 2011 }} [[Hindustan Times]], Mumbai, 9 April 2007.</ref><ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1935840.cms The guru of Shah Rukh] [[The Times of India]], TNN 22 April 2007.</ref> as well as Hollywood actors including [[Freida Pinto]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1225923 |title=Freida Pinto thanks mentor Barry John for success |newspaper=[[DNA (newspaper)|Daily News & Analysis]] |date=29 January 2009 |accessdate=23 February 2009}}</ref> and one of the top 10 US media companies CEO [[Samir Arora]]. He has been based in India since 1969. After moving to Mumbai his acting school was opened in Mumbai as 'The Barry John Acting Studio', situated in [[Andheri]].<ref>[http://ww.smashits.com/events/1856/1/The-Barry-John-Acting-Studio-Inauguration.html The Barry John Acting Studio – Inauguration] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411064347/http://ww.smashits.com/events/1856/1/The-Barry-John-Acting-Studio-Inauguration.html |date=11 April 2009 }} 6 April 2007.</ref>
In 1997, he launched Imago Media Company, and also started Imago Acting School in Delhi, both of which moved to [[Mumbai]] in March 2007. The school also got him recognition, as some of the alumni went on to become [[Bollywood]] actors, including [[Shah Rukh Khan|Shahrukh Khan]], [[Manoj Bajpai]], [[Sushant Singh Rajput]], [[Dulquer Salman]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/interview-sushant-singh-rajput-on-his-fallout-with-aditya-chopra-and-his-shah-rukh-khan-hangover-2453946|title = Sushant Singh Rajput on his FALLOUT with Aditya Chopra and his Shah Rukh Khan hangover}}</ref> [[Samir Soni]] and [[Shiney Ahuja]],<ref>[http://www.hindustantimes.com/News/artandculture/Theatre-is-at-an-all-time-low-in-Delhi/Article1-214549.aspx 'Theatre is at an all-time low in Delhi'] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606102630/http://www.hindustantimes.com/News/artandculture/Theatre-is-at-an-all-time-low-in-Delhi/Article1-214549.aspx |date=6 June 2011 }} [[Hindustan Times]], Mumbai, 9 April 2007.</ref><ref>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1935840.cms The guru of Shah Rukh] [[The Times of India]], TNN 22 April 2007.</ref> as well as Hollywood actors including [[Freida Pinto]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1225923 |title=Freida Pinto thanks mentor Barry John for success |newspaper=[[DNA (newspaper)|Daily News & Analysis]] |date=29 January 2009 |access-date=23 February 2009}}</ref> and one of the top 10 US media companies CEO [[Samir Arora]]. He has been based in India since 1969. After moving to Mumbai his acting school was opened in Mumbai as 'The Barry John Acting Studio', situated in [[Andheri]].<ref>[http://ww.smashits.com/events/1856/1/The-Barry-John-Acting-Studio-Inauguration.html The Barry John Acting Studio – Inauguration] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411064347/http://ww.smashits.com/events/1856/1/The-Barry-John-Acting-Studio-Inauguration.html |date=11 April 2009 }} 6 April 2007.</ref>


He was awarded the 1993 [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] for Theatre Direction by [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]], India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Theatre, and also the [[Sahitya Kala Parishad#Sahitya Kala Parishad Awards|Sahitya Kala Parishad Award]].
He was awarded the 1993 [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]] for Theatre Direction by [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]], India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Theatre, and also the [[Sahitya Kala Parishad#Sahitya Kala Parishad Awards|Sahitya Kala Parishad Award]].


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Barry John was born in 1946, in the industrial city of [[Coventry]], [[Warwickshire]] (now in the [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]]), England.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/art-and-culture/barry-john-wins-major-theatre-award/story-m7l2pzYPQb6NcxrYI6z5gO.html | title=Barry John wins major theatre award | newspaper=Hindustan Times | first=Paramita | last=Ghosh | date=19 March 2020 | accessdate=22 June 2021 }}</ref> His father, an engineer by profession, joined the navy during the world War II and his mother was a home-maker, and his younger sister was Christine.
Barry John was born in 1944, in the industrial city of [[Coventry]], [[Warwickshire]] (now in the [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]]), England.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/art-and-culture/barry-john-wins-major-theatre-award/story-m7l2pzYPQb6NcxrYI6z5gO.html | title=Barry John wins major theatre award | newspaper=Hindustan Times | first=Paramita | last=Ghosh | date=19 March 2020 | access-date=22 June 2021 }}</ref> His father, an engineer by profession, joined the navy during the world War II and his mother was a home-maker, and his younger sister was Christine.


By the age of 12, he had started selling newspapers, and pursued theatre in the evenings. At 15, his father fixed up a job for him at the factory where he worked. After finishing his schooling, he moved to London, but unable to find place in acting schools, he joined [[Leeds University]] at Leeds, [[West Yorkshire]]. There he trained to become a theatre teacher, for three years under John Hutchson, the head of department.<ref name=toi>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/delhi-times/the-drama-of-barry-johns-life/articleshow/29185414.cms The drama of Barry John's life] Divya Vasisht, [[The Times of India]], 23 November 2002.</ref>
By the age of 12, he had started selling newspapers, and pursued theatre in the evenings. At 15, his father fixed up a job for him at the factory where he worked. After finishing his schooling, he moved to London, but unable to find place in acting schools, he joined [[Leeds University]] at Leeds, [[West Yorkshire]]. There he trained to become a theatre teacher, for three years under John Hutchson, the head of department.<ref name=toi>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/delhi-times/the-drama-of-barry-johns-life/articleshow/29185414.cms The drama of Barry John's life] Divya Vasisht, [[The Times of India]], 23 November 2002.</ref>
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In 1973, he founded the Theatre Action Group (TAG), with [[Siddharth Basu]], [[Roshan Seth]], [[Lilette Dubey]], [[Mira Nair]], Ravi Dubey, [[Manohar Singh]], Khalid Tyabji, [[Pamela Rooks]], [[Surekha Sikri]] and [[Pankaj Kapoor]]; the group performed various forms of drama till 1977, when he joined as a faculty of the [[National School of Drama]], [[Delhi]] (1977–80), and later became the Founder-Director of the NSD's Theatre in Education Company (TIE)(1989).<ref name=toi/><ref>[http://imagoindia.com//Director.html Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328164932/http://imagoindia.com//Director.html |date=28 March 2018 }} IMAGO.</ref> He has been conducting theatre workshops ever since and in 1997, opened the 'Imago Acting School' in Delhi.
In 1973, he founded the Theatre Action Group (TAG), with [[Siddharth Basu]], [[Roshan Seth]], [[Lilette Dubey]], [[Mira Nair]], Ravi Dubey, [[Manohar Singh]], Khalid Tyabji, [[Pamela Rooks]], [[Surekha Sikri]] and [[Pankaj Kapoor]]; the group performed various forms of drama till 1977, when he joined as a faculty of the [[National School of Drama]], [[Delhi]] (1977–80), and later became the Founder-Director of the NSD's Theatre in Education Company (TIE)(1989).<ref name=toi/><ref>[http://imagoindia.com//Director.html Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328164932/http://imagoindia.com//Director.html |date=28 March 2018 }} IMAGO.</ref> He has been conducting theatre workshops ever since and in 1997, opened the 'Imago Acting School' in Delhi.


He also appeared in a few films, like [[Satyajit Ray]]'s ''[[Shatranj Ke Khilari]]'' (''The Chess Players'') (1977), [[Richard Attenborough]]'s ''[[Gandhi (film)|Gandhi]]'' (1982), ''[[Massey Sahib]]'' (1985). He also acted in several of his own productions, as well as that other director, including [[Roysten Abel]]'s ''Othello a Play in Black and White''. His recent film is ''[[Tere Bin Laden]]'' in which he is a [[United States]] security general.
He also appeared in a few films, like [[Satyajit Ray]]'s ''[[Shatranj Ke Khilari]]'' (''The Chess Players'') (1977), [[Richard Attenborough]]'s ''[[Gandhi (film)|Gandhi]]'' (1982), ''[[Massey Sahib]]'' (1985). He also acted in several of his own productions, as well as that other director, including [[Roysten Abel]]'s ''Othello a Play in Black and White''. His recent film is ''[[Tere Bin Laden]]'' in which he is a United States security general.
<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090529183446/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/08/16/stories/2006081601070100.htm Star guru: Film stars such as Shah Rukh Khan have trained under him...] [[The Hindu]], 16 August 2006.</ref>
<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090529183446/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/08/16/stories/2006081601070100.htm Star guru: Film stars such as Shah Rukh Khan have trained under him...] [[The Hindu]], 16 August 2006.</ref>


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==Filmography==
==Filmography==
* ''[[Shatranj Ke Khilari]]'' (Chess Players) (1977)
{| class="wikitable"
* ''[[Gandhi (film)|Gandhi]]'' (1982)
|-
* ''[[Massey Sahib]]'' (1985)
! Year
* ''[[Miss Beatty's Children]]'' (1992)
! Title
* ''[[Shaheed Udham Singh (film)|Shaheed Udham Singh]] '' (1999)
! Role
* ''[[Thanks Maa]]'' (2010)
! Notes
* ''[[Tere Bin Laden]]'' (2010)
|-
* ''[[The Great Indian Butterfly]]'' (2010)
|1977|| ''[[Shatranj Ke Khilari|Chess Players]]'' || ||
* ''[[Chittagong (film)|Chittagong]]'' (2012)
|-
* ''[[M Cream]]'' (2012)
|1982|| ''[[Gandhi (film)|Gandhi]]'' || Police Superintendent ||
|-
|1986|| ''[[Massey Sahib]]'' || Charles Adam ||
|-
|1992|| ''[[Miss Beatty's Children]]'' || John Westcott ||
|-
|2000|| ''[[Shaheed Udham Singh (film)|Shaheed Udham Singh]]'' || Michael Atlee ||
|-
|2003|| ''In Othello'' || Barry / Iago ||
|-
|2007|| ''[[The Great Indian Butterfly]]'' || ||
|-
|2009|| ''[[Thanks Maa]]'' || Priest ||
|-
|2010|| ''Teen Patti'' || ||
|-
|2010|| ''[[Tere Bin Laden]]'' || Ted Wood ||
|-
|2012|| ''[[Chittagong (film)|Chittagong]]'' || Wilkinson ||
|-
|2014|| ''[[M Cream]]'' || Vishnu Das ||
|}


==Awards==
==Awards==
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==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
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[[Category:Drama teachers]]
[[Category:Drama teachers]]
[[Category:Indian male film actors]]
[[Category:Indian male film actors]]
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Coventry]]
[[Category:People from Coventry]]

Latest revision as of 21:29, 3 March 2022


Barry John
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Born1944 (1944) (age 82)
Coventry, England
OccupationTheatre director, actor, designer, writer, teacher
Websitewww.instagram.com/itsbarryjohn

Barry John (born 1944) is a British-born, Indian theatre director and teacher. BARRY JOHN has resigned from "BARRY JOHN ACTING STUDIO" for various reasons. Now he is the face of "The Free Birds Collective" an actor training institute in Mumbai. He was the Founder-Director of 'Theatre Action Group' (TAG) (1973), one of the early theatre groups based in Delhi.

In 1997, he launched Imago Media Company, and also started Imago Acting School in Delhi, both of which moved to Mumbai in March 2007. The school also got him recognition, as some of the alumni went on to become Bollywood actors, including Shahrukh Khan, Manoj Bajpai, Sushant Singh Rajput, Dulquer Salman[1] Samir Soni and Shiney Ahuja,[2][3] as well as Hollywood actors including Freida Pinto[4] and one of the top 10 US media companies CEO Samir Arora. He has been based in India since 1969. After moving to Mumbai his acting school was opened in Mumbai as 'The Barry John Acting Studio', situated in Andheri.[5]

He was awarded the 1993 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Theatre Direction by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Theatre, and also the Sahitya Kala Parishad Award.

Early life and education[edit | edit source]

Barry John was born in 1944, in the industrial city of Coventry, Warwickshire (now in the West Midlands), England.[6] His father, an engineer by profession, joined the navy during the world War II and his mother was a home-maker, and his younger sister was Christine.

By the age of 12, he had started selling newspapers, and pursued theatre in the evenings. At 15, his father fixed up a job for him at the factory where he worked. After finishing his schooling, he moved to London, but unable to find place in acting schools, he joined Leeds University at Leeds, West Yorkshire. There he trained to become a theatre teacher, for three years under John Hutchson, the head of department.[7]

Career[edit | edit source]

Deeply influenced by India, and its culture, during the hippie era, he even delved into the Upanishads. Then in 1968, Pandit Ravi Shankar staged a concert at the Coventry Cathedral, a few days later, he saw an ad in the newspapers for a teaching job in India, to which he applied. Thus at age of 22 he landed in Bangalore, where he stayed for the next two years, teaching English during the day at Regional Institute of English on Cunningham Road, and doing radio programmes. Evenings were for amateur theatre, with Bangalore Amateur Dramatics Society and the Bangalore Little Theatre. After arriving in Delhi in 1970, he joined the 'Yatrik' theatre group, staying at the YMCA hostel and working as a freelance teacher in schools and colleges.

In 1973, he founded the Theatre Action Group (TAG), with Siddharth Basu, Roshan Seth, Lilette Dubey, Mira Nair, Ravi Dubey, Manohar Singh, Khalid Tyabji, Pamela Rooks, Surekha Sikri and Pankaj Kapoor; the group performed various forms of drama till 1977, when he joined as a faculty of the National School of Drama, Delhi (1977–80), and later became the Founder-Director of the NSD's Theatre in Education Company (TIE)(1989).[7][8] He has been conducting theatre workshops ever since and in 1997, opened the 'Imago Acting School' in Delhi.

He also appeared in a few films, like Satyajit Ray's Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players) (1977), Richard Attenborough's Gandhi (1982), Massey Sahib (1985). He also acted in several of his own productions, as well as that other director, including Roysten Abel's Othello a Play in Black and White. His recent film is Tere Bin Laden in which he is a United States security general. [9]

In 2007, he moved to Mumbai, where his acting school was opened as 'Barry John Acting Studio',[10][11] in the same year, he also published a book "Playing for Real", published by Macmillan, a chronicle of 178 drama exercises for children, and co-authored by Rajan Chawla and Cathy Yogin, students of his Imago Theatre in Education Company,[12]

Filmography[edit | edit source]

Year Title Role Notes
1977 Chess Players
1982 Gandhi Police Superintendent
1986 Massey Sahib Charles Adam
1992 Miss Beatty's Children John Westcott
2000 Shaheed Udham Singh Michael Atlee
2003 In Othello Barry / Iago
2007 The Great Indian Butterfly
2009 Thanks Maa Priest
2010 Teen Patti
2010 Tere Bin Laden Ted Wood
2012 Chittagong Wilkinson
2014 M Cream Vishnu Das

Awards[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. "Sushant Singh Rajput on his FALLOUT with Aditya Chopra and his Shah Rukh Khan hangover".
  2. 'Theatre is at an all-time low in Delhi' Archived 6 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine Hindustan Times, Mumbai, 9 April 2007.
  3. The guru of Shah Rukh The Times of India, TNN 22 April 2007.
  4. "Freida Pinto thanks mentor Barry John for success". Daily News & Analysis. 29 January 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  5. The Barry John Acting Studio – Inauguration Archived 11 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine 6 April 2007.
  6. Ghosh, Paramita (19 March 2020). "Barry John wins major theatre award". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  7. 7.0 7.1 The drama of Barry John's life Divya Vasisht, The Times of India, 23 November 2002.
  8. Profile Archived 28 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine IMAGO.
  9. Star guru: Film stars such as Shah Rukh Khan have trained under him... The Hindu, 16 August 2006.
  10. Interview with Barry John mumbaitheatreguide.
  11. Barry John Acting Studio In Mumbai FindURClass.
  12. Barry John reveals past peeves and new hopes The Hindu, 24 September 2007.
  13. Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards – Theatre Direction Archived 3 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Official listings.

External links[edit | edit source]