Padma Lakshmi started her career as a model at the age of twenty-one. She modelled for various designers, including ‘Ralph Lauren,’ ‘Emanuel Ungaro,’ ‘Giogio Armani,’ ‘Alberta Farretti,’ and ‘Gianni Versace.’
She started her acting career with ‘Il figlio di Sandokan,’ an Italian television series. She appeared in ‘Glitter,’ a romantic musical drama film, and then starred as Sheila Bardez in ‘Boom,’ which performed poorly at the box-office.
She bagged in a ‘Primetime Emmy Award,’ nomination in the category of ‘Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program,’ for ‘Top Chef,’ which she has been hosting.
Some of her other notable film and television roles include ‘Unzipped,’ ‘Caraibi – Pirates: Blood Brothers,’ ‘The Mistress of Spices,’ ‘Sharpe’s Challenge,’ ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ ‘Melting Pot: Padma’s Passport,’ ‘Whose Line It Is Anyway?,’ amongst others.
The Mistress of Spices is a romantic drama film which tells the story of Tilo, an Indian immigrant in San Francisco, who can harness the magical properties of spices, which gives her the ability to see the future. However, to retain her powers, she must never leave her store, or touch another person’s skin. Her life takes a turn when a handsome bachelor enters her store, and she begins to find herself attracted to him.
Aspiring singer Billie Frank and her friends Louise and Roxanne are offered a contract as back-up singers. When star DJ Julian ‘Dice’ Black hears Billie, he helps her launch her music career and soon the two fall in love. With her spectacular rise to stardom, the strain of popularity creates a rift between them, forcing her to recognize what her heart wants.