Barry John is a great teacher, says Shahrukh Khan

Shahrukh Khan on his guru...

“The days when I was doing theatre in Delhi was an interesting time. Barry (John) was a great support when I was doing theatre in his group. Barry is a great teacher and above all, he is a great human being. I have learnt so much from him both on stage and off it. I have always remained indebted to everybody with whom I have come in contact with at any point in my life. And that includes Barry, who’ll always have a special space in my life. Most of my friends even now laugh at me that I have become a film star. Besides the fact that I work hard, God’s blessings,and all those people who have been kind (like Barry) to me…”

Theatre director Barry John on his most famous student

“There are a lot of factors that go into the making when you are trying to make the cut in Bollywood —talent, perseverance, belief in yourself, a never-give-up-attitude and of course, a bit of luck. Shah Rukh had the perfect combination of all of them. Yes, he is my most famous student and I am known all over as somebody who taught acting to him. But I won’t take credit for that as I believe that everything that you do is a learning process. If you look at Shah Rukh’s life closely, it is the stuff of what dreams are made of. Shah Rukh’s life is a like a fairy tale — there’s tragedy, loss, comedy and a success that none has seen so far. He was there in the right place at the right time, and worked his way up to the top without anyone there to push him. This is true that he is the reason why so many believe that they can make it in Bollywood, even if they are not related to any big-shot in Bollywood. Nobody can make anybody. Shah Rukh was destined to be a somebody, and he’s also one of the most intelligent persons that I have come across. I am so proud of him like the rest of the country.”