Experiencing a Remarkable Journey: Barry John, the Educator who Groomed Stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, and Sushant Singh Rajput, Transitioning from Street Vendor to Garnering Padma Shri in the Year 2025
Renowned Theatre Director and Acting Coach Barry John, who honed the skills of prominent Bollywood stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, and the late Sushant Singh Rajput, has been awarded the prestigious Padma Shri 2025.
Born in the United Kingdom in 1944, John established a career in acting and coaching after selling newspapers as a teenager. He moved to India in 1968 and became an Indian citizen in 2012.
In 1973, John co-founded the Theatre Action Group (TAG) in Delhi with notable personalities like Siddharth Basu, Roshan Seth, Mira Nair, and Pankaj Kapoor. The group nurtured budding talents, including Shah Rukh Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, and Lillette Dubey. John later joined the National School of Drama in 1977 and assumed the position of founder-director of NSD's Theatre-in-Education Company in 1989.
In 1997, John founded the Imago Acting School in Delhi, which subsequently became known as the Barry John Acting Studio (BJAS). BJAS subsequently expanded to Mumbai, producing actors such as Sushant Singh Rajput, Freida Pinto, Varun Dhawan, Arjun Kapoor, Dia Mirza, Rcha Chadha, Dulquer Salmaan, and Rana Daggubati.
Following a mutual agreement, BJAS continues to operate under the John's name even after his resignation in 2020. John now serves as the proprietor and director of the Mumbai-based drama school The Free Birds Collective.
John has previously been recognized by various organizations such as the Delhi Natya Sangh, the Sahitya Kala Parishad, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi. He received the Padma Shri from President Droupadi Murmu on May 27, 2025. Dedicating his award to his students, John wrote on Instagram, "A moment of immense gratitude. This recognition is not mine alone, it belongs to every student, every stage, every story that shaped me."
Manoj Bajpayee, one of John's most prominent students, shared a video of John receiving the Padma Shri on Instagram and wrote, "My Guru, Barry John, my guiding light! He was the first one to see the potential in me, to trust me with responsibilities that shaped my journey. His unwavering faith in me has been the cornerstone of who I am today. It's a moment of immense pride and gratitude to see him being honored with the Padma Shri, a recognition truly deserved."
Notable Bollywood stars trained by Barry John include Shah Rukh Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, Sushant Singh Rajput, Dulquer Salmaan, Rana Daggubati, Richa Chadha, Dia Mirza, and Freida Pinto.
- TAG (Theatre Action Group) was co-founded by John and notable personalities such as Siddharth Basu, Roshan Seth, Mira Nair, and Pankaj Kapoor.Following his resignation from BJAS in 2020, Barry John now serves as the proprietor and director of The Free Birds Collective in Mumbai.*
- Notable Bollywood stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, Sushant Singh Rajput, Dulquer Salmaan, Rana Daggubati, Richa Chadha, Dia Mirza, and Freida Pinto were among those trained by Barry John.
- Barry John, after resigning from the Barry John Acting Studio (BJAS) in 2020, now serves as the proprietor and director of The Free Birds Collective in Mumbai.
- The Padma Shri 2025 was awarded to Barry John, who dedicated the recognition to his students, stating that it belonged to every student, every stage, and every story that shaped him.
