With just eight days left until the general election, Padma Lakshmi got together with a group of other South Asian celebs to discuss the power of voting.
The 50-year-old actress and TV host was part of a group put together by NowThis Politics, with filmmaker Nick Dodani putting together a script that went through some humorous changes.
As the PSA video unfolds, entitled Brown and Down, the celebs notice they’re being asked to do some humorously questionable things to promote voting.
Group: With just eight days left until the general election, Padma Lakshmi got together with a group of other South Asian celebs to discuss the power of voting
Script: The 50-year-old actress and TV host was part of a group put together by NowThis Politics , with filmmaker Nick Dodani putting together a script that went through some humorous changes
The video begins with Nick telling the actors he sent the new version of the script with some ‘last minute changes,’ though actor Vinny Chhibber said those changes were, ‘not approved by our agents.’
His speculation is met by having his feed muted, as Aasif Mandvi gets started, stating, ‘Our community has the massive potential to dramatically influence the next election. We just have to exercise our power.’
Then Mandvi notices something strange in the script, adding, ‘You want me to take off my shirt and flex?’
Not approved: The video begins with Nick telling the actors he sent the new version of the script with some ‘last minute changes,’ though actor Vinny Chhibber said those changes were, ‘not approved by our agents’
Flex:Then Mandvi notices something strange in the script, adding, ‘You want me to take off my shirt and flex?’
Dodani adds, ‘Only if you’re comfortable with it,’ but he still refuses, adding, ‘I don’t know how it would help.’
Actress Aparna Nancherla adds, ‘I also need to see it… for research,’ though Mandvi kept his shirt on and they kept going.
Ravi Patel added that the community, ‘needs to show up and vote like we’ve never showed up before,’ adding their children’s lives depend on it, before he’s asked to hold up his baby.
Research: Actress Aparna Nancherla adds, ‘I also need to see it… for research,’ though Mandvi kept his shirt on and they kept going
Ravi: Ravi Patel added that the community, ‘needs to show up and vote like we’ve never showed up before,’ adding their children’s lives depend on it, before he’s asked to hold up his baby
He insists he’s not going to hold up his baby to the camera, though he will take his shirt off, though clearly no one wants him to.
Janina Gavankar asks him, ‘You’ve been working out, buddy?’ as Ravi asks if he thinks this will ‘blow up’ like the shirtless pics of Kumail Nanjiani did, though they disagree.
Padma quickly changes the subject and says, ‘We have to vote vote vote. Vote as early as you can. Vote in person, vote by mail, vote by dropbox, just vote… with your shirt on.’
Blow up: Janina Gavankar asks him, ‘You’ve been working out, buddy?’ as Ravi asks if he thinks this will ‘blow up’ like the shirtless pics of Kumail Nanjiani did, though they disagree
Vote: Padma quickly changes the subject and says, ‘We have to vote vote vote. Vote as early as you can. Vote in person, vote by mail, vote by dropbox, just vote… with your shirt on’
Sakina Jaffrey adds they need to ‘vote in numbers so big it feels like,’ before refusing to say the joke, ‘like we’re at an Indian wedding.’
Gavankar adds they need to phone bank and volunteer while Jaffrey makes it clear that the Biden-Harris ticket is ‘the most progressive’ in years.
Nancherla asks everyone to go ‘bug every auntie and uncle about voting with the same persistence that they bug us about everything.’
Phones: Gavankar adds they need to phone bank and volunteer while Jaffrey makes it clear that the Biden-Harris ticket is ‘the most progressive’ in years
They add that Kamala Harris is Desi, as they talk about how cool it would be to have an ‘auntie’ in the White House.
Mandvi, however, says he isn’t going to call her ‘auntie’ because they’re the same age.
They encourage fans to visit IWillVote.com or text JOIN to 30330, as the video ends with a surprise segment with Kamala Harris’ daughters Maya and Meena.
Same age: Mandvi, however, says he isn’t going to call her ‘auntie’ because they’re the same age
Daughters: They encourage fans to visit IWillVote.com or text JOIN to 30330, as the video ends with a surprise segment with Kamala Harris’ daughters Maya and Meena