Bikram Choudhury ‘deeply upset’ by new Netflix documentary around sexual assault allegations

Seen it yet?

Bikram Choudhury is "deeply upset" by Netflix's new documentary surrounding allegations of sexual assault and misconduct made against him. Bikram: Yogi, Guru, and Predator details the intense teacher training regime carried out by the Indian yogi, as well as the multiple allegations made against him by his students. Founder of the wildly popular Bikram Yoga, Choudhury made millions off his teachings that he advertised as life changing, involving sessions often comprised of hundreds of people in one room, practicing yoga in the baking heat. The documentary speaks to some of Choudhury's most devoted followers, discussing their entry into Bikram's strict world, and the alleged sexual abuse that many of them suffered. Now a fugitive in the US, Choudhury has turned to countries like Spain and Mexico to practice his teachings. However, that doesn't mean that he hasn't had time to watch the documentary since it landed on Netflix over the weekend. Choudhury's publicist Richard Hillgrove told the LA Times that the guru is "deeply upset" by the documentary that he believes to be a "repetition of old material." "Bikram Choudhury totally refutes all the allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment presented in the film and is deeply upset by the continued character assassination," he said. "Bikram believes that the concerted effort by money-motivated lawyers to proactively send letters to a database of all his clients, offering people free legal representation and the promise of $1 million insurance policy pay-outs is the primary motivation for this reputational catastrophe. Bikram believes the Netflix film is nothing more than a repetition of old material." However, Hillgrove goes on to say that the documentary has contributed to a "renaissance" of Bikrim Yoga around the world. "The attention created by the much talked about Netflix documentary, Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator, has had the opposite effect that many people expected," he said. "Droves and droves of people are wanting to experience Bikram Hot Yoga. Despite the somewhat unfair and negative sentiment, Netflix has certainly helped to create a Bikram comeback." Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator is streaming on Netflix now.