© 2020 The Hollywood Reporter. 2019 Directed by Eva Orner. But Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator could stand to connect the dots a bit more. Watch Now on Netflix. Bikram Choudhury, the famous founder of … Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator Trailer #1 (2019) Eva Orner Documentary Movie HD It is hard not to make comparisons with Dream Hampton’s Emmy-nominated Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly, which aired in January; both works pertain to the cultlike following of a celebrity with a history of sexually targeting young women. Piecing together news clips, social media video posts and insider footage from his packed yoga classes, Orner juxtaposes Bikram’s narration with that of his victims. In the doc, Robinson says she avoided hip replacement surgery because of her intensive Bikram yoga studies. While Hampton made sure to include psychological experts to put R. Kelly’s abuse into context for a broad audience, Orner assumes a shared knowledge of the dynamics of abuse. The footage that Orner was able to secure is impressive, particularly the many clips of Bikram teaching his classes wearing only a black Speedo and a Rolex. Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator 2019 15 1h 26m True Crime Documentaries This documentary charts the rise and fall of hot yoga founder Bikram Choudhury as his global empire is born and disturbing revelations come to light. Imagine Donald Trump as a yogi, and you get an idea of his level of megalomania. What lingers after seeing this documentary is certainly a residue of disgust and rage, but also the gnawing feeling that on some level we’re not all that different from these women. 'Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator': Film Review | TIFF 2019 Courtesy of TIFF. Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator. A film titled Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator, based on the life of controversial yoga guru Bikram Choudhury who built an empire of hundreds of studios in North America and later got accused of rape and sexual harassment, had its world premiere in the 44th Toronto Film Festival on September 10. He went on to launch the Bikram yoga studio franchise, which ultimately made him a millionaire. As the film progresses, it shatters the heroic image of Bikram in painstaking detail. The doc charts the rise of Choudhury as he gained rock star status in the US. The film premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, and released on Netflix on November 20, 2019. There’s still an active warrant for his arrest in California, not to mention multiple sexual-misconduct-related lawsuits pending against him, but his exile unfortunately provides legal cover. Hot yoga is something that now takes place in hundreds of cities and is credited with changing people’s lives. Eva Orner Programme: TIFF Docs (World Premiere) Eva Orner delivers a pre-#MeToo tale for the #MeToo movement with Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator. The spectacular rise and scandalous fall of hot-yoga evangelist Bikram Choudhury is chronicled by documentary filmmaker Eva Orner (Chasing Asylum) through archival footage and extensive insider interviews. JOIN NOW. Running time: 86 MIN. These vignettes are a disturbing window into the mind of a man who displays a well-honed ability to manipulate, mainly through verbal abuse masked as "teaching.". The yoga guru had a meteoric rise in the 1970s. It launches on Netflix Nov. 20. Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator arrived to Netflix on Wednesday November 20. The latest one-off Netflix documentary Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator uncovers the darkness behind Bikram Choudhury and his hot yoga empire. Over the years, Bikram Choudhury’s story had received steady press coverage, but now with key figures going on camera to describe their complicated, abusive journey there was a cloud looming to destroy the empire. BIKRAM: YOGI, GURU, PREDATOR, is an hour and a half deep dive into Choudhury's life. Unlike the multi-episode podcast, “Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator” doesn’t cover every side of Choudhury’s story in detail. And the teacher training required to open a franchise ultimately guaranteed him a steady pool of women to prey upon. The first third of the film is about how Bikram views himself. Bikram Choudhury was at the forefront of popularizing yoga … EO: “Bikram” tells the story of the dramatic rise and fall of the controversial founder of hot yoga, Bikram Choudhury. 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Part of a crop of #MeToo-themed films screening at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, the doc centers on chilling accounts from victims who say that Choudhury sexually assaulted and, in some cases, raped them. Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator (USA, 82 min.) We hear what drew these women to Bikram, what he did to them, but we know little about where they are now or how they have survived. But even just in the world of yoga, at least four other prominent male teachers have been accused of sexual misconduct, according to a July 2019 article in The New Yorker. Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator. The Netflix documentary, Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator, examines the upward thrust and downfall of Bikram Choudhury, who equipped hot yoga to North The United States and fled the U.S. after being accused of assaulting many female students. The premise revolves around Bikram Choudhury and how he built his yoga business.. 10:15 PM PDT 9/9/2019 by Beandrea July The Bottom Line A necessary watch in the #MeToo era. ‘Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator.’ A Netflix Original from the UK’s Pulse, Orner’s doc chronicles the spectacular rise and scandalous fall of hot-yoga evangelist Bikram Choudhury through archival footage and extensive insider interviews. It’s wise to focus on the first-person accounts from victims, but she misses the chance to educate the audience on the particularities of how abuse operates within the specific guru-student relationship. While Hampton made sure to include psychological experts to put … The film is an incisive, no holds-barred doc that holds a sexual predator accountable for his actions and gives voice to the survivors of his crimes. The spectacular rise and scandalous fall of hot-yoga evangelist Bikram Choudhury is chronicled through archival footage and extensive insider interviews. Toronto: Hollywood Reporter's Photo Portfolio With Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Tom Hanks, Michael B. Jordan and More. Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator is a fairly straightforward, talking-head–driven story of how Bikram Choudhury built the Bikram Yoga empire and subsequently used his … Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator is a 2019 documentary film directed by Eva Orner and starring Larissa Anderson, Francesca Asumah and Sarah Baughn. Part of what Orner wants the audience to understand is exactly how powerful this larger-than-life figure was in the eyes of his students, many of whom came to his classes desperate for guidance and seeking help with the medical conditions that dogged them. This documentary charts the rise and fall of hot yoga founder Bikram Choudhury as his global empire is born and disturbing revelations come to light. Starring: Bikram Choudhury. Bikram Choudhury was at the forefront of popularizing yoga in North America and around the world. An Indian immigrant with a Beverly Hills base, Choudhury was a born entertainer, known for dressing in nothing more than a black speedo and a Rolex. The bitter pill that Orner wants us to swallow above all else: Bikram has gotten away with his alleged crimes, and it’s not unreasonable to think that he may never be held accountable. Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. 2019 16+ 1h 26m US Movies. 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