Archive · 9 Aug 2026
Padma Lakshmi Shares Rare 1977 Chennai Summer Family Photo
A famous lady named Padma Lakshmi shared an old picture on the internet.
The picture was taken long ago, in 1977, in a big city in India called Chennai.
In the picture, she is with her family, and she was just a little girl.
She remembered sitting on her grandfather's big old car called an Ambassador.
Years later, she learned how to drive that same car!
She also remembered her aunt Banu, who taught her how to cook and do math.
Her aunt would lock her in a room while the rest of the family watched TV.
Padma talked about hot summer days, mosquitoes, and a rule that kids could only go outside after the sun went down.
She loves remembering her childhood in Chennai and sharing it with her fans.
India-born model, TV host, and cookbook writer Padma Lakshmi shared a rare 1977 childhood photo of her family in Chennai, India, on social media.
She recalled sitting on her grandfather's '69 Ambassador' car and learning to drive the same car years later on trips to Mahabalipuram in the 1980s.
Lakshmi remembered her beloved aunt Banu, who taught her to cook and her multiplication tables, and who locked her in a room while the family watched Doordarshan.
She described her mother as glamorous, noting she had just returned from New York for her grandfather's 60th birthday puja.
Lakshmi reminisced about hot Coromandel sun, mosquitoes, and her grandmother's rule that the children could go out only after sunset.
- Who
- Padma Lakshmi, an India-born model, TV host, producer, cookbook writer, and actress, along with her family.
- What
- She shared a rare 1977 childhood photo of her family in Chennai and recalled summer memories, including her grandfather's '69 Ambassador' car and her aunt Banu.
- When
- The photo was taken in 1977; she shared it recently on social media.
- Where
- Chennai, India; her memories also reference Mahabalipuram and New York.
- Why
- To share nostalgic memories of her summer days and family in Chennai with her fans.
- Person
- Padma Lakshmi
- Photo year
- 1977
- Location
- Chennai, India
- Grandfather's car
- 69 Ambassador
- Aunt remembered
- Aunt Banu
- Known for
- Hosting Top Chef
- Books written
- Five
- Primetime Emmy nominations
- Sixteen (16)