Padma Lakshmi is a New York-based Indian model and actress.

Biography

Padma Lakshmi was born in 1970 in Madras, India and is currently married to novelist Salman Rushdie. Her cookbook Easy Exotic was awarded Best First Book at the 1999 World Cookbook Awards at Versailles. She was host of the Food Network series, Padma's Passport which is part of the larger series, Melting Pot. She has also been a guest host on parts of the British culinary tourism show, Planet Food. She hosted the segments on India and Spain. Notable other television roles include a memorable cameo in Star Trek: Enterprise as an imperious princess. It is rumoured that she also took part in a battle scene disguised as a reptilian. She was host of Domenica In, Italy's top-rated television show. She also starred in Glitter with Mariah Carey and in Boom with Amitabh Bachchan.

Padma Lakshmi attended Clark University in Massachusetts and got a BA in theater arts. Her last semester of college was spent in Spain, where she landed her first modeling job. She also caught the attention of Helmut Newton, a photographer notorious for his stylish female n---s. Giant fashion mags like Vogue, Elle and Glamour rushed to get her decadent body in their pages as well.

After graduating, she moved to Italy for a few years, where she co-hosted the TV show Domenica in Rai. She also trekked across the international runways for such labels as Versace, Armani and Ralph Lauren. While trotting the globe, Padma, an unabashed foodie, picked up and compiled low-fat recipes from every imaginable country. Her amassed culinary adventures culminated in Easy Exotic: A Model's Low-Fat Recipes from Around the World, a cookbook that became a bestseller.

In Padma's frequent returns to her subcontinent home, Padma starred in two Bollywood films, Caribbeans and Sandokan: The Darkness and the Light. She became so recognized in India, that American studios tried to capitalize on her talents. She was cast as Sylk in the 2001 box-office bomb Glitter, with Mariah Carey. That same year, she guest-starred in an episode of the Star Trek spin-off Enterprise.

In 2003, Padma Lakshmi starred in her biggest Bollywood flick yet: Boom, the story of three Indian supermodels caught in a diamond heist. But sadly for her, this movie tanked as well. But box-office success (or the lack thereof) proved no hindrance to the model's love life. She started dating Booker Prize-winning author Salman Rushdie, with whom she created a cinematic partnership.

From the runway to the big screen, Padma Lakshmi became famous thanks to her wide-ranging talents and interests. As smart as she is beautiful, Padma put her worldly palate to use and compiled a winning recipe book. Easy Exotic: A Model's Low-Fat Recipes from Around the World combined good taste with the huge demand for healthy food. And with her on the cover, who wouldn't want to follow its recipes?

In addition to modeling, Padma also tried her hand at acting, but with limited success (both major films she starred in bombed). She then used her business savvy to start her own Bollywood production company, for which she's already starring in a new project.

Meanwhile, Padma maintains her spot in the limelight with her Food Network show Padma's Passport, which gives people two very good reasons to tune in; one is the food.