Exclusive: 'The Amazing Race's Hoskote Venkatesh and Naina Venkatesh talk (Part 2)

The Amazing Race eliminated Hoskote Venkatesh and Naina Venkatesh during Sunday night's premiere broadcast of the CBS reality competition's 23rd season.
 
The "Father and Daughter" became the first team eliminated from the around-the-world competition after they arrived at the Race's first Pit Stop at the Teatro Municipal De Iquique in Iquique, Chile in last place.


In an exclusive interview with Reality TV World on Monday, Hoskote and Naina talked about their The Amazing Race experience and early ouster. Below is the concluding portion of their interview. Click here to read the first half.

Reality TV World: Tell us a little bit about the two flights to Iquique, Chile and what exactly the gap was between them.

Hoskote Venkatesh: You may or may not be aware. The way the first leg was structured when the flights were so structured that when both the flights were going to arrive in Santiago, Chile, there was like a half-hour difference. That's all the difference was between the first and the second flight getting into Santiago, Chile.

And then there was a one-hour window from the wait in Santiago, and then there was this flight that was going from Santiago to Iquique. So basically, we would all be on the same footing once we get into Santiago. Unfortunately, what happened was, we realized that when we arrived in LAX that there was a tornado and a hurricane in Dallas.


And therefore, all of the flights going through Dallas would be an hour-and-a-half late. So we started out from Los Angeles an hour-and-a-half late even to get into Dallas. And from Dallas to Santiago, the flight was another hour-and-a-half. So basically, even before we left LAX, the flight was going to be late into Santiago, Chile.

So effectively, we would've not gotten the flight that was at 9:30 in the morning and subsequently we ended up catching the 12:30 flight, so we were three-and-a-half hours late. So by the time we got out of Santiago, Chile and into Iquique, we were like three-and-a-half hours late. Most of these other seven teams had already finished, and in this Race, that is just like a death [sentence].

Unfortunately, I was hoping that, you know, we would get a chance to take our -- once we knew in LAX that we were going to be three hours late in Santiago. I just wish we could've taken a different flight, not have been structured into this flight, and used our own navigation skills... to navigate our way to Chile. Because we know that otherwise, we are going to go.

Reality TV World: Were you both surprised the first leg wasn't a non-elimination leg? Were you expecting that to happen at all or no?

Hoskote Venkatesh: I wish it was.


Naina Venkatesh: We were hoping. I mean, we thought maybe there might be a little twist, something difference than previous seasons. And obviously because we were caught in that circumstance, we had hoped it would be for us, yes, certainly.

Hoskote Venkatesh: Like I said, we really, really love the show so much. We had waited for years and years and years -- dreamt about being on the show. And to go out like this, especially when we knew we could compete so beautifully with every other team.

I mean, I'm in better shape -- Naina has whipped me into such a good shape now. I'm in better shape now than I was 30 years ago. I can run faster, I can jump higher, I can compete with the 30-year-old kids.

It's unfortunate that America or -- I could not prove to her what a great physical instructor she is, that she had trained me so well. I wish I could show it, not only to America, but to my daughter, who has done her yoga service.

Reality TV World: So Hoskote, you were just talking about what you hoped you could show your daughter during the Race. And Naina, you said in your final words that there was a lot you wanted to show your father during the Race that you didn't get a chance to show him. What were you referring to by that?


Naina Venkatesh: Well, I group up in a very traditional household, so with that comes a lot of cultural influence and the way my Dad was brought up in India and how he thinks his kid should be raised and live their life. So he has been a very intregal part of my life whether it be in my career or extra-curricular activities or the way I act in public or my personality.

He has a direct influence. He's very much full-force in my life. He has a lot of say or he tends to want to have a lot of say in the things that I do and the way I act. And being an Indian parent, he thinks he's coming from a very good place. I think he thinks, "Father knows best."

He thinks what he's doing for me is correct and there's nothing wrong, and he really wants the best for me. And I know he's coming from a good place, but sometimes, my Dad can be a little bit overbearing and overwhelming, and he gets into my business a little too much. Sometimes, I get a little -- not clausterphobic, but a little sassy.

It gets very, very constricting at times, and I just wanted to be able to have the opportunity to show my Dad that yeah, I actually have a very good head on my shoulders and I'm a very confident woman. But to prove that to my Dad in these kind of circumstances, where you're mentally and physically pushed, was such a perfect chance for me to do that.

Because in everyday life, you don't really have those circumstances fall into your lap, where you can show things like that, right? So, The Amazing Race would've been the perfect chance to go out there and show my Dad -- and even America -- that you can have a loving and doting father and also have someone who has grown up very intelligently and has a good set of moral standards and expectations for her life, but you don't need to keep hovering and worrying about every single thing that I do.


Reality TV World: You said you're both huge fans of the show and it was a dream of yours to compete on The Amazing Race. So how were you cast on the show? And was it your first time applying for the show?

Naina Venkatesh: Well before I answer that question, I certainly would like to say that I hope we get another chance. We feel very unfulfilled and we feel like we need to have a redeeming opportunity to go back and show America that that's not what we're all about.

So to answer your question, we auditioned in Vegas years ago -- had a really, really banged up audition. I mean, it was phenomenal. Unfortunately, we didn't get called back, so we were really bummed. And last year, it was a last-minute decision, and I kid you not, the day of, my Dad's like, "Let's go!"

I had to work that morning. As I came back, I was like, "Are you sure? You worked last night. You didn't sleep. This is crazy! We'll just wait again until the auditions come again when we're like fully prepared." And he was like, "No, we're going now!"

So there again comes the Indian Dad when he's like, "No. It's my way or the highway. We're going." (Laughs) So we basically kind of fought on the way there, because that's what we do, but we obviously function very well despite that. And we auditioned in Los Angeles in the CBS Studios, right here, and we got a call in December. And the rest is history!


Above is the concluding portion of Hoskote and Naina's exclusive interview with Reality TV World. Click here to read the first half.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski