And Just Like That… Sarita Choudhury Became Seema Patel

Summary

Podcast Summary: "And Just Like That… Sarita Choudhary Became Seema Patel"

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Run-Through with Vogue
• Host/Author: Vogue
• Episode: And Just Like That… Sarita Choudhary Became Seema Patel
• Release Date: June 5, 2025

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Introduction to the Episode

In this engaging episode of The Run-Through with Vogue, hosts Chioma Nnadi and Chloe Mel delve into a vibrant conversation with Sarita Choudhary, renowned for her role as Seema Patel in the latest season of And Just Like That…. The discussion intertwines Sarita's acting journey, fashion insights, and personal anecdotes, offering listeners a comprehensive glimpse into her multifaceted life.

Sarita Choudhary’s Acting Journey

Chloe Mel enthusiastically introduces Sarita Choudhary, highlighting her acclaimed performances in both Homeland and Mississippi Masala. Sarita reminisces about her early roles, stating:

"Mississippi Masala was one of my first films, and playing Seema Patel has been an incredible journey." [00:33]

The hosts discuss the evolution of the show compared to Sex and the City, with Sarita sharing her initial reservations and eventual embrace of the new narrative:

"I watched one or two episodes and wasn't sure it was for me, but as the season progressed, I fully got on board." [02:00]

Fashion Conversations

A significant portion of the episode centers around fashion, reflecting Vogue's core essence. Sarita and the hosts delve into various fashion moments from the show, including standout pieces like the Simone Rocha dress adorned with sewn-in roses:

"The Simone Rocha dress with the roses sewn into the tulle is one of my favorite dresses I've ever worn." [02:35]

Geminati expresses admiration for Sarita’s wardrobe choices, particularly the integration of opulent 80s styles, and discusses current fashion trends such as the resurgence of hats:

"Hats are having a moment, and nobody wears them like Sarah Jessica Parker." [03:56]

Sarita elaborates on her favorite looks from the show, highlighting the craftsmanship behind her costumes:

"The rope dress made by women in Colombia was hand-stitched over weeks, and it felt amazing to wear." [21:59]

FDA Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists

Nicole Phelps introduces the topic of the FDA Vogue Fashion Fund finalists, detailing the selection process and the distinguished judges involved. The conversation spotlights emerging designers like Jamie Akuma and Peter Doe, with Geminati expressing excitement about their inclusion:

"I'm so excited to see Jamie Akuma, possibly the first Native American designer in the competition." [06:42]

Geminati emphasizes the importance of transparency and personal connection with designers in today’s fashion landscape:

"People want to know who's behind a brand and understand their process." [07:06]

Behind the Scenes of Being a Judge

Chloe Mel inquires about the unique aspects of being a judge for the Fashion Fund, to which Geminati shares the collaborative and deliberative nature of the judging process:

"The decision isn't ever taken lightly; there's lots of debate and emotions involved." [08:15]

She reflects on the honor of supporting emerging talent:

"Being part of the process to celebrate new designers is why I do what I do." [08:15]

Personal Insights and Relationships

The episode transitions to more personal territories as Sarita discusses her long-distance relationship within the entertainment industry. She shares anecdotes about her friendship with Nicole Ari Parker:

"We auditioned for the same play and film, which sparked our friendship." [15:10]

Sarita opens up about balancing personal relationships with the demands of her career, highlighting the support system she has with her closest friends.

Classic Movies and Cultural Impact

Sarita expresses her passion for classic cinema, mentioning films like Chungking Express and Mississippi Masala. She contemplates the enduring relevance of these movies in contemporary society:

"Racism hasn't changed, which is why Mississippi Masala still resonates today." [29:28]

This segment underscores the cultural and political layers embedded within storytelling and their lasting impact.

Skincare Routine and Personal Care

A lighter yet insightful discussion unfolds around skincare routines. Sarita candidly shares her regimen, emphasizing the importance of oils in her nighttime skincare:

"I use La Prairie oil at night, and it's been a game-changer for my dry skin." [32:06]

The conversation takes a humorous turn as they discuss the inevitability of hangovers from sophisticated cocktails like murky orange wine and cosmopolitans.

Concluding Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, Sarita reflects on her global upbringing and how it has shaped her identity:

"Having lived in England, Italy, Jamaica, and now New York, I feel connected to all these places, but home is where my parents are." [27:35]

Chloe Mel and the hosts express gratitude towards Sarita for her openness and insightful contributions, marking the episode as a blend of glamour, personal growth, and thoughtful discourse.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Sarita Choudhary: "Mississippi Masala was one of my first films, and playing Seema Patel has been an incredible journey." [00:33]
• Chloe Mel: "I have to say I'm seated, as the youth say, for this season of And Just Like That…" [00:59]
• Geminati: "Hats are having a moment, and nobody wears them like Sarah Jessica Parker." [03:56]
• Sarita Choudhary: "The Simone Rocha dress with the roses sewn into the tulle is one of my favorite dresses I've ever worn." [02:35]
• Geminati: "People want to know who's behind a brand and understand their process." [07:06]
• Sarita Choudhary: "Racism hasn't changed, which is why Mississippi Masala still resonates today." [29:28]

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This episode of The Run-Through with Vogue masterfully intertwines fashion, personal narratives, and cultural discussions, offering listeners an enriching experience that encapsulates Sarita Choudhary’s dynamic role and her profound insights into the worlds of acting and fashion.

Transcript

[Arden Fanning Andrews]

This episode of the Run through is brought to you by ebay. I'm Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue's beauty editor at large. Everyone's talking about tassels right now, and that's the moment that I end up typing it into ebay. I found the perfect vintage triple chain belt with golden tassels. And it just looks so elegant, timeless. And it's on the way in the mail to me, thanks to ebay.

[Chloe Mel]

This is the Run Through. I'm Chloe. Mel.

[Geminati]

And I'm Geminati.

[Chloe Mel]

We are so excited to have Sarita Choudhary on our show, AKA the Spectacular. Seema Patel from. And just like that, you may also know Sarita from Homeland. I had like this aha moment when I realized she was the one who played Saul's wife on Homeland because I loved her character. And also she was in Mississippi. Masala was one of her, I think her first film.

[Geminati]

Oh, my God, she was so, so.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Hot in that film.

[Geminati]

It's unbelievable.

[Chloe Mel]

She plays Denzel's love interest, which we know is something many women would love to be. And we talked about that. We talked about her relationship with director Mira Nair and how Seema's metallic leopard print, fabulous frocks and looks translate into her real life wardrobe, which is a little more muted. It would be hard not to be. But before we get into that headlines for today, Choma, I have to say I'm seated, as the youth say, for this season of. And just like that, I've sort of just let it wash over me and accepted that it's not going to be what Sex and the City was for me, maybe.

[Sarita Choudhary]

And you're learning this now.

[Chloe Mel]

I mean, well, I didn't watch the first season.

[Geminati]

You didn't watch the first season then.

[Chloe Mel]

Just, I watched the first episode and I was like, oof, I can't do this.

[Geminati]

How am I just learning this now? Didn't we.

[Chloe Mel]

I pretended.

[Geminati]

I feel betrayed. I feel betrayed.

[Chloe Mel]

I just like, I watched one or two episodes and I was like, I don't know if this is for me. I need to preserve in amber the true Sex and the City. But then the second season, it was you, Jesse. Everyone really convinced me that I needed to get on board for this journey. And I'm very happy to be here. It's just a very different journey than Sex and the City. So, um, I will say I was delighted to see that the Simone Rocha dress with the roses sewn into the tulle, which I is one of my favorite dresses I've ever worn and wore to the pre Met party for the Garden of Time.

[Geminati]

Garden of Time.

[Chloe Mel]

Anyway, Sarah Jessica Parker wore that Simone Rocha dress and the matching duster jacket. I mean, I'm sure she was like going to the post office the way that she likes to go out with a bang. But that was exciting to me. I also am obsessed with Rosie O' Donnell as a nun and Mary and Miranda, their MMs in Times Square. What a delightful curveball.

[Geminati]

Yeah, you're right. That opening look was just so. Just reminded me just like how amazing Sarah Jessica Parker is as a style icon and that she's still got it. I've. I've also got it. I've worn. I've worn the dress. I wore it to the men of the Year awards a while ago, and I've worn the top. So I think that collection is.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Is.

[Geminati]

Is just like a fan favorite. If you're a fan of Simone Rocha, you will know and recognize that instantly. And I think it was like she knew. She knows how to sort of drop the Easter eggs. It was kind of the equivalent of her.

[Chloe Mel]

It's a very fashion insider if you know, you know.

[Geminati]

Yeah. I mean, similarly to the. To the pigeon. The pigeon bag, which I think had everyone. For me, they came out the gate swinging to have Simone Rocha and be that moment. So I thought it was kind of brilliant. And then the gorgeous. I think nobody wears hats the way that.

[Chloe Mel]

Oh, my God. What was that hat?

[Geminati]

Yes. There's a hat maker who. Hold on.

[Chloe Mel]

Miriam Kahani.

[Geminati]

Kahani. Yeah. I think, actually.

[Chloe Mel]

And it's called the cloud hat.

[Geminati]

Yes. And Miriam posted about it. I think I discovered Miriam through our dear colleague Laird Borelli Pearson. That's cracked. It was. Yeah. I do think hats are actually having a moment. They're really back and nobody wears them like Sarah Jessica Parker.

[Chloe Mel]

Certainly not.

[Geminati]

Yes. So I was very. I was very pleased with the fashion in this episode from even the kind of at home looks, because obviously during the episode. Spoiler alert. There is a moment in the episode where Carrie's alarm goes off repeatedly in her house, and each time she's wearing some really kind of cool version of like a house dress or like a pajama, and you're just like, who goes to bed looking this good? Or who, like, who wanders around their house in, like this beautiful kind of like pale pink and white striped ensemble. I was very impressed.

[Chloe Mel]

Speaking of fashion news of the week, the FDA Vogue Fashion Fund finalists. It's like Sally Sells seashells on Social, announced this year's finalists. 10 designers. It was very exciting. There was a whole process, well, you know, panel to be of judges who were deciding on the ten finalists. Um, and it's always a fun moment. It feels like a nice way to sort of elevate designers who we're passionate about or that we don't know as well. It was also fun because all of the judges came to the Vogue offices. So Paloma was here and Aurora James and Ricky Desole. And it was fun to sort of have some lively, familiar faces in the office. But yeah, some of the more well known designers of the group are Ashlyn's, Ashlyn Park Obero's Julian, Louis Bach Mai don't let disco heirloom, Jamie Akuma, Mehurt Tolegan and Peter Doe. This year's winner will receive $300,000 and the two runner ups will each take home 100K, which is not nothing, along with business mentorships. But yeah, I always look forward to this sort of summer rollout of the fashion Fund. Well, I want to know, Choma, are there any of the CVFF finalists that you are excited about?

[Geminati]

Yeah, I'm so excited to see Jamie Akuma on here. I think it might be the first time that we've had a Native American designer in the competition. Jamie was a designer who actually Christian Allaire introduced me to.

[Chloe Mel]

Yeah, I agree. I know. I saw Jamie's name and I was like, ooh, Christian's a stalwart. Cause Christian wears Jamie a lot too, and wore Jaime a lot for his book tour.

[Geminati]

Yeah, I'm super excited about Jaime. I'm super excited that Peter Doe is finally one of the finalists. I think he had perhaps not applied in recent years, but he's super talented and someone I think people are excited about. He was anonymous, but I don't want to get the facts wrong, but I do know that he's been very reticent to be in the spotlight and initially there were very few photos of him on the Internet and he would very rarely step forward to be the face of Peter Doe, which is very Margiela like. So I think his participation of this much more forward facing competition is like really good sign because I think people want to get to know him more. I understand, obviously you want to have an allure and a mystique, but I think in today's world, people want to get to know who the designer is. You know, I think they want to get to know who's behind a brand, how they work their process, and this is really a step in that direction.

[Chloe Mel]

Is there anything sort of from behind the scenes of being a judge, because I know you were a judge for a few years and really leaned into that role. Anything that do you feel like people should know about that, that makes it a unique process.

[Geminati]

I think the conversations are always he have different perspectives in the room. You have a perspective of buyers. You have this perspective of editors. You have a model like Paloma who's weighing in. So I think it's always food for thought, and it's something that the decision isn't ever taken lightly. And there's lots of debate and there are a lot of emotions involved and there are people campaigning for one particular designer and there can be a conversation that happened that sways the judges. So it's really interesting, and I think it's one of the biggest privileges I've ever had working at Vogue was to be able to be part of it. Because you are giving. I mean, it's such a huge honor. It's obviously an amazing financial endorsement. But beyond that, you're sort of anointed as the next big thing in American fashion. So I think being part of that process is just kind of why I do what I do, being able to sort of celebrate new designers. And it's very exciting.

[Chloe Mel]

Choma, as you know, we here at American Vogue are extremely passionate about the Tonys. There's a lot of fun, exciting performances planned that people are excited about. Like Hamilton is the original cast is reuniting and is going to do a performance. There's a lot of shows that people loved this year that are nominated. Oh, Choma, what did you think about the announcement of Jonathan taking over the reins of all of Dior finally? Long last.

[Geminati]

Yeah. I mean, such big news in. In the UK because honestly, I. He's not a British designer. Actually, he is a UK designer because he's from Northern Ireland. And that. That was interesting to me. We'll be right back with Sarita Chowdhury in just a.

[Arden Fanning Andrews]

The other day, I, like, went on a real ebay spree. There's this huge push for, like 80s opulence and 80s sort of glamour, and we're going to see that returning. And so I was already kind of tapped into that just from my gorgeous ebay watch list. And I found a really beautiful Chloe blazer from the 80s and a really great Miu Miu kilt, Bee's great Dior boots. And I'm combining them all together. And sometimes trend forecasting doesn't require something that's going to be, like, produced in the future. Sometimes you can, like, tap into the past and tap into the archive as well. That's what makes ebay a fun place to actually discover things, because you're not going in with something so specific in mind, but you have an idea of what you're interested in or what you're excited about, or, you know, just truly trend forecasting. And so one thing that I would say people should be watching out for is like, very opulent, 80s style.

[Chloe Mel]

Sarita, congratulations on season three.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Thank you.

[Chloe Mel]

I feel like you're in a press whirlwind right now.

[Sarita Choudhary]

You know, I am. And I just yesterday I thought, I'm enjoying it. I don't know what going, what is.

[Chloe Mel]

The sort of marathon strategy.

[Sarita Choudhary]

I just make sure I sleep wherever in cars. The more you do it, the better you get at it. You take yourself less seriously. Like if I look at some early interviews, like, I've got perfect posture and it's so embarrassing. And now I'm like, oh, okay, it can be normal.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Yes. Okay. Straight. First time we see you in this season.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

You look Seema. First time we see Seema.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Yeah, I remember.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

She looks amazing. She's in lingerie, she's on a bed, she's getting ready for what supposed to be like a spicy zoom call. Was that the first scene that you filmed?

[Sarita Choudhary]

No. Thank God. Okay, thank God. But when I watched that episode, you know, so I'm like on my bed, I'm just like, da, da, da. You're nervous always because you don't know how they're gonna edit. You don't. You don't know. But I did not expect that. When I saw it, I was like, whoa. It felt like I was. It was too much.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

All right, well, how do you prepare for that? How do you prepare for a scene like that? Mentally?

[Sarita Choudhary]

Well, no, mentally, you don't know. I just. I looked in the mirror straight. It looked normal. I mean, it was a bustier. And, you know, you're just like, oh, it looks great. I didn't know that when I lay that way and that way, this, like Fellini esque moments were happening. So I didn't know. I didn't prepare for it. I will next time.

[Chloe Mel]

I sort of love that you're waiting for our dear Ravi, who's really not stepping up to the challenge.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Thank you.

[Chloe Mel]

But you're in a long distance relationship with this very slick but sleazy. Maybe. Or not available, maybe not sleepy.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Wait, what were the two words? I like, but you were like, slick but sleazy. Sleazy, but not really. Yeah, I like that.

[Chloe Mel]

I get that. Have you ever been in a long distance relationship?

[Sarita Choudhary]

I'm very trained in them, so I.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Can imagine that it could be quite difficult coming into a show with a just like that where there's this like established cast and all these actors who are like beloved and have history together. So what was it like filming season three as opposed to when you first started?

[Sarita Choudhary]

Oh, my God. So it's. I love that question because I've been feeling that a lot. Season one joining was. It was like, I wish I could go back to that girl and be like, it's gonna be fine. Cause it really is. You don't. And I mean this. You don't want to ruin the show.

[Chloe Mel]

Big Manolos to fill.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Yeah, Big Manolos to fill.

[Sarita Choudhary]

I mean, seriously. And a character like Seema. Cause you've just seen a script. There's no image of her in your head yet. Or whatever. And so you also want to be like, I gotta be a little careful not to, you know. Cause she walks into scenes and just starts talking. But I'm meeting the cast for the first time and I'm trying to be a little well behaved. And so just finding how to temper. But also enjoy. Seema was tricky. It was tricky, but now I love it.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Good.

[Chloe Mel]

Did you have a Sex and the City era in New York City when you were drinking cosmos around town, Ironically.

[Sarita Choudhary]

With Nicole, who plays ltw. So we were very close. We are very close friends. And we used to go out and we. I remember we had like 20 bucks in our pocket and we thought that was. That was great. We knew we could get two drinks back then. Mm. And just have enough in case you were a little hungry at the end.

[Chloe Mel]

How did you and Nicole Ari Parker meet?

[Sarita Choudhary]

We auditioned for a play and we both ended up in it. And then we auditioned for a film and we ended up in it. So I think in the waiting room, she was. I'll never forget, she was wearing a white T shirt and white jeans. And I thought, what color eyes are those? And also she was very quiet. Something about her. I was just like, I want to become friends with her.

[Chloe Mel]

And then by chance, you guys were cast together for this?

[Sarita Choudhary]

She was, no, that's crazy. Sorry, I didn't mean to ask her, like, mm.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

What is it like working with her?

[Sarita Choudhary]

She. And I guess we were cast, but she called me and she was like, did I hear right? And I had just found out. So I was like, I didn't know what she meant. How could she know about me getting this job? And why Would she care? The minute I just got it, it was. Cause she had just got it. Wow. Yeah.

[Chloe Mel]

Did you know you were both in talks for it?

[Sarita Choudhary]

No. Wow. No, no. Cause you don't know anything. Yeah, no, it was cra. Like, I'm meeting her after this today and.

[Chloe Mel]

Where are you guys? What are you up to?

[Sarita Choudhary]

I don't know. We meet. We usually just. We haven't even. What I do is I text her and then we pick a corner. Cause you know, we don't. She's the only one who understands if I'm late because I don't know how long an interview goes or. Yeah, she's the only one who can forgive me at this point. I've lost all my friends and I hope she has too, so she can just be there for me. That's what I hope.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

And what is it like working with her? Working with one of your best friends?

[Sarita Choudhary]

I don't work with her.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

You guys don't.

[Chloe Mel]

It's true. You don't really have scenes with her.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Okay.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Nope. No. So we see each other in the hallway. Yeah.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

I was about to say, do you ever like.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Oh, yeah, we run to. Sure.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Okay. Seem she's such a fab character. She has, like such a strong sense of. Of self, but also like very, like, real grounded. How much of that do you identify with that? Do you think that, you know, your life influences how much Seema is informed by Sarita? Yeah.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Do you know what's interesting? Don't you find, and I'm sure maybe you guys find this about yourself, who we think we are. We also get a sense that other people don't see us that way. Yeah. Yes. So other people will say, oh, sweetie, you're so strong and you're so relaxed. Meantime, I'm thinking I go home and I'll ponder over the one till it feels better and like, call my best friend and be like, did they really mean that? So on one hand, I think I do have a certain assuredness, but it's like, that's why I related to Carrie. It's full of quirks of mind that I don't think Seema has, you know?

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sarita Choudhary]

But I do. I relate to her steadiness. There's a. She'll listen and she'll speak in the same proportions. Like, she's not an over talker and she's not an. She's not a bad listener.

[Chloe Mel]

Interesting.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

I think, like, her desirability and her openness is also obviously just like a huge part of her character. And oftentimes when you see that with characters over 50, it's like, oh, they're sexy in spite of the fact that they're this age. But with Seema, that's just who she is. When you guys were developing this character, were there conversations about that and how that.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Sorry, I'm trying to understand. So you're saying that was a very intelligent four senses for someone who's tired. He said so when you're in your 50s, sometimes, sometimes it's like, oh, even.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Though she's 50, she's still sexy.

[Chloe Mel]

But Seema, it's like she's sexy because she's sort of confident in her age and who she is.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

She is.

[Sarita Choudhary]

That's so. I love that.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Were there conversations about that and how to like portray that on screen?

[Sarita Choudhary]

No.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Okay.

[Sarita Choudhary]

But I like that that's what you see. What's interesting about the conversations is we get a script, right, with just lines, so you're just thinking of the scene and it's usually situational comedy. So you're trying to figure out what that is. And then you get put in these clothes, like whether it's the bustier or a tiger or panther patterned tight suit and high heels and bags. And bags I can't even open. And you know, there's everything's encrusted in a gold or a lock or something. And because she's a smoker, I have to open them and I have to open the cigarette pack and I have to light it as I'm saying my one line as I'm walking out. Like, it's all very. It took me a lot to get and figure out. So I think the work goes there. And if you're lucky, whatever that quality you're talking about is, I think depending how much you pull that off, then that quality comes in.

[Chloe Mel]

I feel like Seema was maybe judged too harshly in season one about how much she loved exotic prints. But I wonder if you feel like you've brought any of your own fashion into Seema's wardrobe or vice versa. Like, are you wearing more prints now post Seema?

[Sarita Choudhary]

I brought. So I don't. So I haven't brought any of my fashion really into. Molly and Dani are so specific and good at what they do and. And you start.

[Chloe Mel]

The costume designers.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Yeah, the costume designers. You start to learn that when you see an episode. Cause sometimes you're in something and you're like, really? Is that right? And then you see the episode and you're like, oh my God, thank God. Like there's an episode where I walk into a hair salon, and I've got a scarf on, and it just. Fabulous behind me. But I realized watching it, the scarf doing that kind of creates a momentum for me as a character, which I can't create as an actress. You know what I mean? The movement of something. Yes. So that's when I get. I understand their job. That's not. I don't have that talent. And. No. Because I play Seema in my own life, I think I've gone the. I already was kind of like this, like, jeans. And I always like one thing, like a red lip or a shoe. But I'll never. I'll never do something too much.

[Chloe Mel]

Okay.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Um. Seema, I think, doesn't do too much, but she. Cause she could.

[Chloe Mel]

She does a lot.

[Sarita Choudhary]

She does a lot.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Yeah, she does.

[Sarita Choudhary]

I was thinking about it the other day, like, she could almost be too much and, like, tasteless. But somehow it's in the Dani and Molly world of. No, it has to be that earring, if we're wearing. You know, somehow balance it a little.

[Chloe Mel]

Do you have a favorite Seema look this season?

[Sarita Choudhary]

Yeah, I have the first one in episode one. It's. I've talked about it before. It's a beautiful rope. It's made of rope, and it's handmade for weeks by these wonderful people in Colombia. This designer works with all these women. That was amazing. And then there's this simple. I think it was probably Fendi. So simple. Nothing dark brown skirt and top. But, you know, when you walk and you feel good in something, you can't put your finger on it. You don't know if it's because of the weight of the material. And it's your thing. Yeah.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

What is the wardrobe process with the show.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Are you so much fun?

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Oh, my God. Tell us. Tell us everything.

[Sarita Choudhary]

And I say that because it's not that fun. On other projects, you think it would be, but it can be.

[Chloe Mel]

It isn't always.

[Sarita Choudhary]

It isn't always. It's fun. Cause you arrive, you're in your whatever, daily wear, and they greet you, and you can see they've pulled up your stuff, and it's on this rack, and you can see the other characters, and you can't help but compare a little, like. But it becomes pretty obvious what your character is. Like. If I'm next to Charlotte's, it's definitely, like, a huge divide of what it is. There's a delta, and so. So there's this huge pink chezlong that we all collapse onto. And because we're in heels all the time in the fitting, you get tired, you know, because you're also. You can't be bothered to take off the heel to then take. So you're just always in heels. And so we collapse onto this pink couch and they know, oh, she doesn't want to get up yet. So they pretend to be looking for something. The whole thing is. It's exquisite. Molly's got a great sense of humor. So does Danny. It's like it's their show in that moment. And it's my break.

[Chloe Mel]

Have you ever taken anything from set?

[Sarita Choudhary]

Yes. One thing I got. I don't even know what to do with it. I almost need to buy a house in Sicily to wear it. I wore it in one scene just sitting on a bed. It's see through, ish, mermaidy green. It's so impractical and it's long and it's nothing. You both would love it. Like, it's. You wear it and you're just like, oh, my God. But you can't wear it out. Cause it's see through.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

It's a dress.

[Sarita Choudhary]

It's, I guess a dress. But it also feels great. That's why the Sicilian house, you know, with those tiles where you're just walking and you're like, who is out there? And you're just standing and they just see you lit with the backlight. And MPK would be like, oh, I love that Sridha. And I was like, oh, he doesn't know. It's because I'm a. That my acting is just amazing. Finally, only in those moments. So I was just so grateful that, yeah, it was fine.

[Chloe Mel]

We are going to take a short break. We'll be back in a moment.

[Arden Fanning Andrews]

I like ebay for one of a kind items. Things that feel limited edition or collections that can't be found in stores. And with the ebay authenticity guarantee, I know that when it arrives, it's real. It is a piece that is coming from the designer's collection, the designer's archive. One of the biggest conversation points for some of the parties that I'll go to during fashion week are the pieces that I'm getting off of ebay. Everyone's a little bit intrigued and excited whenever they hear that you were able to find something on this digital treasure hunt.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

You are quite the citizen of the world. I'm gonna get this correct. So you were born in England, grew up in Italy and Jamaica.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Yes.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Went to college in Canada, and now have lived in New York for many years.

[Sarita Choudhary]

So that sounds like a lot, but actually what it really felt like was Jamaica and Italy for, like, at least till I left home. Okay.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Okay, nice. And how is it?

[Chloe Mel]

Why each of those places? Like, what?

[Sarita Choudhary]

Cause Jamaica was 10. Oh, why were we there?

[Chloe Mel]

Yeah.

[Sarita Choudhary]

My dad left India to go. He got a job in a school in Jamaica. Interesting.

[Chloe Mel]

Interesting.

[Sarita Choudhary]

In those days, they were like, you got a job, you go, okay. And you take the boat and the plane and the. And my mother got a job in the same school, and she was in England. And so they both traveled. It was the same year they were joining this school.

[Chloe Mel]

Wow.

[Sarita Choudhary]

And they fell in love. And so then we stayed there. And then my dad was working on an experiment for his PhD and the Rome. How Rome happened was the UN has a branch that was like, oh, we like that project. Can you come and live here?

[Chloe Mel]

Interesting. What was his PhD?

[Sarita Choudhary]

It was on shrimp. It was how to breed shrimp in murky waters with certain algae. Algae. That meant you could grow them in a lot more places in places they thought were, like, not fascinating. And so it was so strange moving as a family to Rome. Like, Jamaica and Rome are so different. And I was 11, 12, I was brown, did not speak Italian, did not have the clothes.

[Chloe Mel]

Wow.

[Sarita Choudhary]

I was like, whoa. But then at that age, you learn Italians, you learn any language so quickly, right?

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Sarita Choudhary]

And that's it.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

That's amazing.

[Sarita Choudhary]

It's great.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Does anywhere feel like home, specifically?

[Sarita Choudhary]

Imagine if I started crying. Where does it feel like home? I guess where my parents are feels like home. Definitely.

[Chloe Mel]

They're still in Italy?

[Sarita Choudhary]

No, they retired back to India. Oh, you said that. I'm sorry. So they're in India. Italy is definitely, I think, when I land there, the most, like, ah. Because imagine from 11 to 18, those are pivotal years. Yeah, pivotal years. And the food, it's where you become interested in different kinds of food. Like when you're a kid, less so. The coffee, everything. My whole body is like, yes. So maybe Italy. New York is everyone's home. Do you know what I mean? I can't claim it because.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Yeah, when I watched the premiere, I watched with one of my friends, and immediately she was like, wait, have you seen Mississippi Masala? And she was one of many people who has asked me that recently or who I've, like, I've heard about.

[Chloe Mel]

Do you feel like it's having a renaissance? Like, people really like young people? Because I love that movie because I love Mira Nair's work, but I feel like I'm an old person.

[Sarita Choudhary]

But young people, really, I think, first of all, Criterion, yes, it did come out. It Came out there. But still, you're right. There's still a lot of people who. I don't even know if they see it on Criterion. I don't know.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Yeah. What do you think? And so this movie is about a young couple. You're navigating like an interracial relationship in the Sound.

[Chloe Mel]

Not any relationship. Denying you're playing relationships.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

You're playing opposite this unknown actor, Denzel.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Washington, who, oddly, at that time, he was known. He had just won the Oscar for Glory, but he was relatively. I mean, he hadn't done the big movies yet.

[Chloe Mel]

Let's put it this way. Tickets for Othello were not $900 then.

[Sarita Choudhary]

No, they were not.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Why do you think it's resonating right now, all these years later?

[Sarita Choudhary]

Well, there's also a bad reason for that. I. And I was like, wait, why does this make sense still? Because racism hasn't frigging changed is why. Like, you know, which is not. I wish it didn't make sense.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Sarita Choudhary]

It should be looked at as. Oh, I can't believe. But no, that's the problem. I also think any love story that is culturally so many boundaries. Like, there is Uganda, there's Mississippi. There is. What is racism in Mississippi versus in Uganda? What is black American, black Africa? It's so. And done with comedy and love, but mainly a love story, which we all love to chase.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Sarita Choudhary]

It's kind of unusual as a. So political. I don't know how she got that much in a movie. Like, in one movie.

[Chloe Mel]

I'm very invested. Even for me, it's been a very exciting next chapter of my Mira Nayer fandom. That Zoran Mamdami, her son, is running for mayor, and he's amazing. So telegenic and charming and becomes like.

[Sarita Choudhary]

You could actually, you know, some people, you're like, why do I trust them? You meet him and you're like, I trust you. Yeah. Such a rare quality.

[Chloe Mel]

Do you were. Apparently he was sort of playing in a round on the set of the film.

[Sarita Choudhary]

I babysat Zoran. Oh, my God. Yeah. I was like, get out of my room, Ziran. I gotta work. Yeah.

[Chloe Mel]

And I love that Mira has been like, canvassing for him and sort of handing out.

[Sarita Choudhary]

She has to. Can you imagine? Yeah, I love it, too. I love watching that. She's so great. She's such a talent.

[Chloe Mel]

Do you still keep in touch with her?

[Sarita Choudhary]

Yeah, completely. That's it. It's family, though. Imagine doing a film like that. And then I did Kama Sutra. There's no way I Wasn't. Yeah. We're all embedded.

[Chloe Mel]

You are also a real film buff, and you love watching classic movies. What's the last movie you saw in a movie theater?

[Sarita Choudhary]

Wow. In a movie theater. I think I went to Wong Kar Wai's Chungking Express at ifc. I took my daughter. Yeah. She had the same reaction I had when I first saw it. I think it's the best love story I've ever seen. Not love story, but whatever love story is. Is it with yourself or is it with someone else?

[Chloe Mel]

It really gets me.

[Sarita Choudhary]

I love it.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

I would like to know about the skincare routine I heard that you have, which consists of oil at nighttime to skin only oil. Okay. Anything else involved? Your skin is glowing. It looks bad.

[Sarita Choudhary]

It is. Oh, my God. No acupuncture.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Oh.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Literally. I learned.

[Geminati]

You know what?

[Sarita Choudhary]

I realized I didn't. And they say, what is the oil?

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Sarita Choudhary]

It can be random. So it was. The latest one was by La Prairie, and they gave it to me. And they didn't realize because usually they're so sweet. They'll give me cream sometimes. And they gave me oil, and a lot of people don't want oil. And the way I lit up, she was like, oh, okay.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

When you said random, I thought you were gonna say, like, Canola or something.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Not La Paris. I am. So that's where I'm heading. So. No, because I was given La Prairie. That's what I'm using lately. So I know. I know what you're saying. I'm so grateful to have had it. Cause I was like, I didn't know oils were on this level of, you know. So what I usually use is rms. There's a great. It's called Bonjour Beauty. It's like a small. It's in a balm, but it's oily. It has 73 flowers in it, sourced from some forest. And I swear as I go to bed, I just do this. And if I'm hungover, it's gone. Really? Wow. It's amazing. It's amazing. And what else do I use? I've used olive oil in the past. When I say whatever oil. It is whatever oil. Because I have dry skin.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Okay. Wow. Now I have to ask about these hangovers. What are they from? What is the cocktail?

[Sarita Choudhary]

It's orange wine at the moment. Oh, then they don't get anything.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

That's classy.

[Chloe Mel]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

It's an elevated hangover.

[Sarita Choudhary]

Is it? And the more, you know. The murky orange wine.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

Yes.

[Chloe Mel]

Yeah, I don't like that. That tastes too Much like red wine to me. The murkier, the more closer to red wine it gets. It is to me. It tastes like that. I don't know if it actually is.

[Sarita Choudhary]

I'm gonna change you. Okay? Yeah, I wanna be changed. It looks like fish are swimming in it. It's like that thing of sea.

[Chloe Mel]

I don't mind that. I like murky. The darker the orange.

[Sarita Choudhary]

No, no, I agree with you. I don't want that either. No murky meaning no murk I can do.

[Chloe Mel]

Yeah, it's like the shrimp growing in the murky water. There we go.

[Sarita Choudhary]

It's all tied in.

[Chloe Mel]

It's all tied in.

[Sarita Choudhary]

That's my. Yeah. And oddly, cosmopolitans are. It's so embarrassing.

[Unnamed Interviewer]

No, it's my turn. I love a Cosmo too, now and then.

[Chloe Mel]

I mean, there are a few things that Sex and the City, I wouldn't say ruined, but sort of oversaturated. Cosmos. Great drink. Magnolia cupcakes. Excellent baked goods.

[Sarita Choudhary]

No, totally, totally. Yeah. But it feels weird ordering Cosmo now. Yeah, it can't.

[Chloe Mel]

Sarita, thank you so much. Thank you for joining us for this interrogation. Yes, thank you, miss.

[Sarita Choudhary]

I'm just sitting here. I'm not moving. Stay here, Stay here.

[Chloe Mel]

And that is it for the show this week. We will see you guys soon. The Run through is produced by Chelsea Daniel, Alex DePalma and Joanna Solotarov. Our engineers are Jake Loomis and Luke Mosley. The show is mixed by Pran Bandy. Stephanie Karaoke is our executive producer, and Chris Bannon is Conde Nast's head of Global Audio.

[Arden Fanning Andrews]

The other day, I, like, went on a real ebay spree. There's this huge push for, like, 80s opulence and 80s sort of glamour, and we're going to see that returning. And so I was already kind of tapped into that just from my gorgeous ebay watch list. And I found a really beautiful Chloe blazer from the 80s and a really great Miu Miu kilt, these great Dior boots. And I'm combining them all together. Sometimes trend forecasting doesn't require something that's gonna be, like, produced in the future. Sometimes you can, like, tap into the past and tap into the archive as well. That's what makes ebay a fun place to actually discover things, because you're not going in with something so specific in mind, but you have an idea of what you're interested in or what you're excited or just truly trend forecasting. And so one thing that I would say people should be watching out for is, like, very opulent 80s style.

[Sarita Choudhary]

From PRX.