“The yoga practiced these days is Hatha Yoga. It targets fitness and has little bearing on the Patanjali system of yoga,” says Deepa Kothari, a physicist who teamed up with yoga practitioner Ramji Om to co-direct the 2011 Hindi documentary with English sub-titles, History of Yoga.

The film traces the beginnings of the orthodox discipline that is rooted in the teachings of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, or ancient Indian teachings. “The original system aimed to use meditation to attain spiritual insight and tranquility,” shares Kothari.