Emmy Noms: Padma Gets 2, Kumail Nanjiani, Indian Matchmaking, Andrij Parekh

Photo : Padma Lakshmi (Left) and Smriti Mundhra (Right)

India-West News Desk

LOS ANGELES, CA – In the list of nominations for the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, announced by actress Yvette Nicole Brown and Television Academy Chair Frank Scherma during a live virtual ceremony on July 12, are Kumail Nanjiani, Padma Laxmi, the Netflix reality show ‘Indian Matchmaking’ and director Andrij Parekh.

Padma Lakshmi scored recognition for hosting the 20th season of the popular cooking series ‘Top Chef,’ and comes on the heels of her announcement that she was quitting the Bravo show. She tucked one more nom in her belt, getting the second for hosting in the ‘Nonfiction Series or Special category’ for her Hulu show ‘Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi.’

She took to Instagram to share her excitement about her Emmy nods. “It’s nice to finish my time at ‘Top Chef ‘with a nice nomination for the show, as well as one for me as host. I am so excited that you guys have acknowledged both my shows, and especially ‘Taste the Nation’ which as you know is just my baby and I want to thank everybody on both crews who helped me put those shows on,” she wrote.

Season 2 of the matchmaking series is up for consideration as Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program, following season 1’s nomination in that same category which looks into the lives of young Indians and their parents sometimes searching for their spouse led by matchmaker, Seema Taparia.

Executive Producer Smriti Mundhra told Deadline, “I think recognition from these awards bodies is great because it is a boost for these shows, particularly ones that are less supported through traditional marketing campaigns and are a little bit more discoveries for audiences like a lot of my work is.”

Nanjiani has been nominated for ‘lead actor in a limited series or a movie’ for his work in the Disney+ series ‘Welcome to Chippendales.’ The Pakistani-American actor was chosen for his portrayal of Somen “Steve” Banerjee, the Indian American who was the founder of Chippendales, the male-stripping empire.

‘Directing for a Drama Series’ nomination was picked up by Andrij Parekh, for the episode, ‘America Decides’ in the ‘Succession’ series on HBO. If he wins, it would be a repeat for him. In 2020, at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, he was announced as the winner of that year’s Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for his work directing ‘Hunting,’ an episode of that year’s Outstanding Drama Series winner, Succession.

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-born Parekh is of Ukrainian and Indian descent. He shoots features and music videos, including work for artists such as MGMT (Electric Feel) or The Killers (Spaceman). In 2004 he was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Indie Film “and was included as one of Variety’s “Ten Cinematographers to Watch.” Recently, he was invited to join the American Society of Cinematographers.