Discovery+ has announced the premiere of ‘My Daughter Joined a Cult’, a three-part docuseries from Vice Studios that will launch exclusively in India before expanding to other international territories throughout 2022.

Helmed by Naman Saraiya, the 3×45-minute series centers on Swami Nithyananda, the self-styled ‘godman’ whose religious organization, Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam, has acquired thousands of devotees since launching in the early 2000s.

Throughout the last decade, multiple accusations of abuse and abduction were leveled at Nithyananda, leading to his flight from India in 2019 and the establishment of his own self-proclaimed ‘Hindu nation’ of Kailaasa on an island off the coast of Ecuador. Nithyananda has denied the allegations, the channel said in a statement.

Featuring testimony from Nithyananda’s followers and ex-devotees, as well as journalists, lawyers, activists, and others, ‘My Daughter Joined a Cult’ seeks to detail the inner workings of Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam and determine how its founder was able to obtain such fervent loyalty from so many.

Samira Kanwar, VP of content, APAC, Vice Studios said, “As is synonymous with Vice Studios, the series offers an authentic and compelling insight into a complex and controversial figure, using raw first-person testimonies and original production techniques.

“We are proud to be working with Discovery+ to bring this series to a wide, global audience.”

Sai Abishek, original content head, South Asia, Warner Bros. Discovery, said, “Discovery has always been synonymous with content that is raw and real. Keeping authenticity at the core of our offerings, ‘My Daughter Joined a Cult’ is yet another step towards bringing alive a story that has multiple layers.”

“We are certain that viewers will be intrigued by this series, built on the back of hard-hitting first-hand accounts from ex-devotees, along with commentary from observers of (Nithyananda’s) rise and subsequent allegations of abuse and fraud,” Abhishek added.

The series will be available to stream on Discovery+ India in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, English, Kannada, and Malayalam.