I'm not of the American ilk that, you know, your lover needs to be your best friend and know you inside out. I think he should know you well enough to please you. Otherwise, what secret will there be to tell him when you're ninety?

She grew up shuttling between her grandparents in Chennai and her mother in New York. She speaks English Tamil Hindi Italian and Spanish.

She has been the host of the US reality television program Top Chef since season two in 2006 for which Padma Lakshmi received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program. Padma Parvati Lakshmi (pronounced [ˈpəd̪maː ˈpaːrʋət̪iː ˈləkʃmiː]; born September 1 1970) is an Indian American cookbook author actress model and television host.