- So, you know,
it's not lost on me,
or probably anyone else that knows you,
that you are very outspoken-- you stand up for a lot.
You talk openly about a lot of causes.
I want to ask, is this how you always were?
Did you always have a strong sense of voice,
or do you feel like you have kind of found it
and have learned how to use your voice over time?
- I think it happened in stages.
You know, I went through a health crisis.
Well, I was going through it since I was 13,
but I have endometriosis, and I just was never diagnosed,
and I had terrible periods.
I was in bed like a week every month, and it sucked,
you know,, like anyone will tell you.
And I started a foundation with my surgeon,
and it wasn't easy.
Like, nobody wants to talk about their period.
No one wants to talk about their vagina
in a big room with people or on TV.
But I learned how to get over my fear
because I thought that it was really important.
Then that was a great training ground
and great practice for then joining forces with the ACLU,
the American Civil Liberties Union,
right after the election
and even before, on the campaign trail.
I was really angry by the characterization
of immigrants in this country by Trump
and, you know, all the people around him,
like Steve Bannon and Steve Miller
and other people named Steve.
And they were talking such smack about immigrants,
and I grew up in an immigrant community,
and I knew lots of immigrants from all over the world,
and that was not my experience.
They weren't rapists and murderers.
They freakin' built this country.
- Mm-hmm. - You know?
And, to me, that is what makes America great,
not all the other stuff.
- How do we get you to be the president? I just need to--
Real quick, that was my only thought while you were talking.
I'm like, "This is the campaign I need to see on TV, for real."
- I can never be president.
First of all, there are way too many nude pictures
of me on the Internet.
But also, I wasn't born here. [laughter]
I came here when I was four.
- To be fair, going back to the nude-picture thing,
I don't think that should be points docked.
I think that should be-- yes, we want a president
who feels comfortable with the human body--we want that.
- You know, it's so funny.
Because I'm from a middle-class,
very conservative South Indian family,
when I was in my 20s and I was modeling,
it was in the '90s, so the Internet was not
the behemoth of danger that it is now.
So you could do [bleep] and get away with it
because nobody would see it in India or in America.
But I was, like, scared that my family
was going to see the pictures
I took with Helmut Newton or something.
And now I'm, like, showing those pictures off.
You know what I mean?
I went from, like, trying to hide them
to now being like, "Look," you know?
And it's so funny how in different stages of your life,
you really go through different mindsets,
because I wouldn't go back to my 20s
if you paid me a bazillion dollars.
My ass is lower, so are my [bleep],
but my mind is so much happier and at peace now.
You know?
- Literally my crew member off to the side
literally out loud was like, "She's amazing."
[laughter]
Another thing you've been outspoken--
actually, we've both been outspoken about this--
is how happy we are to see someone
that looks like us in the White House--
of course, with Kamala Harris.
We both talked about this openly.
- I'm so happy to see her.
I'm so, so happy to see her up there,
because never in my lifetime
did I think that somebody who looked like me
or came from the same neighborhood
was going to be in the White House.
And she's a great, great person to represent us.
- Absolutely. - Do I agree with everything?
No, but I think she's fabulous,
and I'm rooting for her.
She's a good dancer as well.
- Yes, and she can bop, I totally agree.
And I love what you just said right there,
because I think oftentimes when I talk about--
like, "I'm so happy to see Kamala,"
I'll see a bunch of people in my comments be like,
"Well, do you know she said this, did this?"
I'm like, "Hey, it's not about seeing eye to eye
on every single issue."
No two humans are ever like that, for the most part.
You will meet anyone,
and you'll find stuff you disagree on.
But the point is that it's a greater win
for our community, and it needs to be celebrated.
I don't think that cynicism is the way forward.
I think the celebration is the way forward,
so I couldn't agree more.
- Totally. I'm so happy for the young girls,
you know, Indian and otherwise,
Black, white, whoever, who get to see somebody up there
swearing and taking the oath of office,
because it never occurred to me
to get into government when I was a kid.
You know, it's nice to see
people who actually look like the country.
And I love that she's not only Indian
but that she's African American and Indian,
because it tells you that there's this beautiful,
delicious mix of cultures in this country
that makes us unique.
- Yes, absolutely.
So, of course, Padma, we have to talk about "Top Chef"
coming back for season 18.
Congratulations.
- Most of us hadn't worked in months,
and it felt really energizing and right
that we try to put our whole crew back to work.
It was also good distraction, but it was crazy.
I mean, it was very difficult.
We thought that COVID would be our only challenge.
But then there were all those protests,
and there was a Proud Boys convention
that drive through with all those trucks when we started.
And then there were the fires, of course.
You know, there were days when we couldn't even go out,
and one of the reasons we picked Portland
is because we thought it was so beautiful outdoors there
that, you know, especially with COVID,
we could shoot outside and all be safe.
And when that didn't happen, it was even more stressful.
But I have to give it to my producers
because they did a kick-ass job.
It was very stressful, but thank God, touch wood,
we did not have one positive case on the whole shoot.
I'm very excited for people to see it.
It was a very emotional season.
- As you were saying that, my COVID compliance officer
just peeked through the door.
And so I was like, he's checking in,
and going to now be in the interview.
What up? But there's just so much to think about.
Padma, I could talk to you for literally 10 hours straight.
You are such a joy. Thank you so much for being on the show.
For everyone watching at home, make sure you grab your copy
of "Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet,"
and don't forget to watch "Top Chef."
It airs Thursdays on Bravo.
Padma, we need to be best friends.
- We will be best friends.
I'm so happy to meet you and talk to you.
- I'm going to call you. [laughs] Okay.