Hot! Padma Lakshmi

Lakshmi's career began at age 18, when during a study trip in her college years she was discovered by a modeling agent in Madrid , Spain while sitting in a caf . As she has stated, "I was the first Indian model to have a career in Paris, Milan and New York. I'm the first one to admit that I was a novelty." Lakshmi managed to pay off her college loans while working as a model and actress.

She has modeled for top designers such as Emanuel Ungaro , Alberta Ferretti and appeared in ad campaigns for Helmut Newton , whose photographs of her often highlighted the large scar on her right arm.

Lakshmi appeared on the covers of RedBook, Vogue India,FHM, Cosmopolitan , L'Officiel India, Asian Woman, Avenue, Industry Magazine, Marie Claire (India Edition), Harper's Bazaar , Newsweek . Lakshmi also posed nude for the May 2009 issue of Allure magazine.

Cookbooks

Her first cookbook Easy Exotic was awarded Best First Book at the 1999 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards at Food Network series, Padma's Passport, which was part of the larger series Melting Pot, in 2001. She also hosted two one-hour specials on South India and Spain for the British culinary tourism show Planet Food , broadcast on the Food Network in the U.S. and internationally on the Discovery Channels . Her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet, was released October 2, 2007.

Film and television

Lakshmi first role was in an Italian murder mystery Il figlio di Sandokan and her subsequent role in Caraibi (Pirates: Blood Brothers), a costume drama about 17th-century pirates got Lakshmi hooked on acting in 1999. She had a comical supporting role as the lip synching disco singer Sylk in the 2001 American movie Glitter with Mariah Carey . She starred with Amitabh Bachchan and Jackie Shroff in the 2003 Hindi action film Boom as Shiela Bardez, one of a trio of super models accused of stealing diamonds. She played the role of Geeta in Paul Mayeda Berges ' 2005 film .

Lakshmi served as hostess of Domenica In , Sean Bean 's nemesis Madhuvanthi in the 2004-2005 TV series Sharpe's Challenge . In 2006, Lakshmi appeared in ABC's TV series Dougray Scott , Naveen Andrews , and Omar Sharif . She serves as lead host and judge on the television show second season , and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program as co-host in 2007. Lakshmi was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program in 2009 for Top Chef. The show won the Emmy for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program in 2010.

Lakshmi has expressed a desire to work in Kamal Haasan .

Lakshmi made a guest appearance on the show 30 Rock in 2009.

Music video

In 2009, Lakshmi starred in the Eels video for the song "That Look You Give That Guy" playing the love interest of Mark Oliver Everett .

Jewelry design

Combining her culinary and fashion style tastes, Lakshmi launched her first line of jewellery in 2009. Titled "Padma", the first collection consisted of forty pieces.

Personal life

On April 17, 2004, in New York City , Lakshmi married the novelist Salman Rushdie , to whom she was introduced at a party in 1999 hosted by the journalist and editor . On July 2, 2007, the couple filed for divorce. She is the model for one of the central characters and love interests in Rushdie's novel (a novel dedicated to her as well).

On October 1, 2009, after years of struggling with a gynaecological medical illness known as endometriosis , a condition that causes pelvic pain and has been associated with infertility, Lakshmi confirmed that she was pregnant. Lakshmi also co-founded The Endometriosis Foundation of America, which is a nonprofit organization focused on increasing awareness, education, research, and legislative advocacy against the disease On February 20, 2010, Lakshmi gave birth to a baby girl named Krishna Thea Lakshmi. Although the father's identity was not initially given, it was later revealed to be Adam Dell . In January 2011, Dell sued Lakshmi for full custody of their daughter.

Although professing little interest in fashion, Lakshmi has written articles on style for American Vogue magazine at Anna Wintour 's request, and writes her own column on style in Harper's Bazaar following a commission from editor Glenda Bailey .

Lakshmi was brought up as a Carl's Jr. restaurant chain eating a Western Bacon Cheeseburger and in her second cookbook Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet she credits the chain with bringing her away from vegetarianism during her teenage years.

Selected filmography References

Gauri Sinh (2002-01-25). . Retrieved 2011-01-03.

Neha Tara Mehta (2010-10-24). .

Amit Roy (2006-04-30). . Retrieved 2011-01-03.

Jennifer Bain (2007-12-22). . Retrieved 2011-01-01.

^ Beautiful and Damned ", The Guardian, April 8, 2006

^ New York Times . Retrieved 2011-01-01.

K, Kannan (23 January 2002). . The Hindu. Retrieved 24 July 2011.

Escape Views Harpers & Queen March 2004, Lakshmifilms.com

Divya Unny (2007-07-05). .

^ Padma Lakshmi Evening Standard Magazine LakshmiFilms.com

April McIntyre (2009-04-13). .

BIOS / Padma Lakshmi

Hattersley, Giles (April 2, 2006). . Archived from on April 2, 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2011.

Padma Lakshmi Bio Bravotv.com

. Lakshmifilms.com. Retrieved 2010-04-04.

Lysaght, Stephanie (2009-04-13). . Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-04-14.

. BBC. Retrieved 2010-04-04.

Amazon.com Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet: A World of Recipes for Every Day (Hardcover)

. Lakshmifilms.com. Retrieved 2010-09-21.

. Spinnermusic.co.uk. 2009-09-01. Retrieved 2010-04-04.

dead link ]

. UsMagazine.com. Retrieved 2010-04-04.

. Yahoo.com.

AGENCIES, Mar 19, 2010, 03.00pm IST (2010-03-19). .

Liz McNeil (2010-03-18). .

Casey Greenfield (Feb 1, 2011). .

. Lakshmifilms.com. Retrieved 2010-04-04.

Almost Flawless " by Padma Lakshmi. , April 2001.

NY Daily News; March 26, 2009

Padma Lakshmi at the Internet Movie Database

Padma Lakshmi's official website showcasing her jewellery collection

Padma Lakshmi's MySpace

Padma's Bio

Padma Lakshmi at Memory Alpha (a )