BIKRAM Choudhury is the man who turned yoga into an art-form that brought it to the masses in the west.
His claims of the ailments it could heal, created huge interest in his classes and brought him worldwide fame.
Who is Bikram Choudhury?
Bikram Choudhury was born in Calcutta, India.
After having a bad injury weight-lifting, he studied under yoga guru Bishnu Charan Ghosh.
The teachings allegedly cured his untreatable leg injury.
He left his homeland in the 1970s and headed to America, looking to educate and teach yoga stylings to heal others.
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On arriving in the country, he opened yoga studios in California and Hawaii.
It wasn't long before his "Bikram Yoga" was known all across the country.
His unique style inspired his students while also creating some form on control over them, creating a cult-like following.
It was not long before he was monetising his studios and classes and buying high-end cars and houses, becoming what some called the "Beverly Hills Yogi" image.
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His unique style of yoga would be in an environment of 40-degree-heat to mimic the climate of India.
Students would partake in a nine-week course which would involve them staying in the hotel hosting the classes for the duration.
What celebrities did Bikram Choudhury teach?
Choudhury claims to have taught celebrities such as Madonna, Raquel Welch, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson and David Beckham.
He also said that he helped US presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton with his "Bikram Yoga".
Bikram Choudhury claimed his first student once he arrived in America was Elvis Presley, and the second was Richard Nixon.
What was Bikram Choudhury accused of?
It is alleged that his yoga studios created almost a cult-like existence for students.
Some of his students have come forward and accused him of alleged sexual assault, rape and maniacal control.
The allegations came to light in 2013 and by the following year, five different women had filed lawsuits against Bikram Choudhury.
Two years after the first allegation his wife, Rajashree Choudhury, filed for divorce due to "irreconcilable differences".
Since all of this, in 2019, it even spurred a Netflix documentary called "Bikram: Yogi, Guru and Predator".
Academy Award-winning director, Eva Orner used the documentary film as a platform for those people to come forward who felt they had been abused in one way or another.
Bikram Choudhury has denied all of the allegations.
Where is Bikram Choudhury now?
In May 2016, Choudhury fled to India as charges were looming along with lawsuits, one of which was from his head of legal and international affairs.
Minakshi “Micki” Jaffa-Bodden claimed she was unlawfully terminated from her employment by Bikram Choudhury.
The courts found in her favour and he was ordered to pay her the money.
When he absconded back home to India, he had not paid any of the $7m owed to Ms Jafa-Bodden.
He continued to open yoga studios in India and was tracked to Thailand, Spain and Mexico where he continues to run his teacher training classes.
What is Bikram Choudhury's net worth?
The teacher training classes he runs are of cost of $10,000 to those wishing to sign up to them.
Bikram Choudhury is believed to have a net worth in the region of $75m.
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As he continues to roll-out his franchised classes, this figure may well continue to rise.
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