Film on disgraced yoga guru premieres in Toronto

Controversial yoga guru Bikram Choudhury, who built an empire of hundreds of studios in North America and elsewhere before he fell from grace, is the subject of a compelling and timely no-holds-barred documentary that had its world premiere at the 44th Toronto International Film Festival.

The film, titled "Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator", has been directed by the Melbourne-born, Los Angeles-based Eva Orner. It traces the Bikram Yoga story all the way from the man's meteoric rise in the 1970s to his disgrace in recent times owing to accusations of rape and sexual harassment.

The primary purpose of making the film, Orner said after a screening for the press and industry here, is to "tell the story of the women and bring it to the attention of the world. They spoke out in an environment that wasn't supportive."