It’s not rare in cinema that, now and then, two breakout stars become the talk of the town. Good or bad, it’s still chatter.
Something similar happened with the sensation that Mallika Sherawat became after the release of her 2004 erotic thriller, Murder. She starred alongside Emraan Hashmi, who also earned the “serial kisser” tag, and the film was helmed by Anurag Basu.
Produced by Mukesh Bhatt and Mahesh Bhatt, Murder was a film way ahead of its time. Be it in the representation of bold scenes on the big screen or the psychological gamble behind the film’s plot, it had audiences flocking to theatres in an age before social media. The film went on to earn over Rs 20 crore back then, which is indeed commendable.
That would make one think this was a dream beginning for any actor, as it should have been for Mallika Sherawat too; her popularity peaked. But what emerged instead was a moral assassination of her character off camera, linked to her Murder persona. Nevertheless, she was being talked about.
Murder – On And Off The Screen
Inspired by the 2002 American movie Unfaithful, which was in turn inspired by the 1969 French film The Unfaithful Wife, Murder had a thrilling plot centred on a lonely wife, Simran (Mallika), suffering in a loveless marriage with Sudhir (Ashmit Patel). When her path crosses with ex-lover Sunny (Emraan Hashmi), she finds herself losing control in the intense passion and intimacy that Sunny brings into her life, as guilt and trepidation pile up. When her husband Sudhir gets a whiff of her affair, it is the consequences that drive this film to its climax, every minute building on the tension it leaves in its wake.
Murder was a rage for more reasons than one. Not only did it push the boundaries of censorship at that time, but beyond the skin-show, it was the story that somewhere connected with contemporary audiences.
What it did for Mallika Sherawat was lead her to transition from a model to an overnight sensation, with the tag of “sex symbol” following her. But with it came intense scrutiny and her becoming part of a large public discussion on her supposed apologetic surrender to the intimate scenes in Murder.
Amid the massive commercial success of Murder was a profound outrage that she found herself embroiled in, which went as far as her effigies being burnt and her being slut-shamed. Not just public assumptions, but she was judged harshly by industry critics too.
Speaking on the backlash, she once told Mashable India, “I think my glamour was overwhelming for them. I am unapologetic about it. I wore a bikini in Murder and actresses have worn bikinis before me also, but I was so nonchalant about it. I was like, I have a great body. Do you want me to wear a saree at the beach? No, I will wear a bikini, and I celebrated my body because for me that was very liberating. But that was too much to handle for people, especially women. Men have had no problems with me. Men love me in India and I love them back. It’s just some women who are so vicious to me. I don’t know why, because I love sisterhood. I love to support women.”
About the sex symbol tag, Mallika Sherawat told Hindustan Times, “Mujhe pata bhi nahi likhta kaun hai yeh! Do people take Wikipedia seriously? I don’t. Abhi kya karein, change kaise karein iss image ko. I don’t even know how, I don’t pay attention to it. However people want to perceive me, it’s their attitude. I just have to focus on what I am doing.”
As for being slut-shamed, she shared with Ranveer Allahbadia on his podcast how she was told, “So many sluts in Bollywood, one more. They wanted me to feel ashamed of myself, of the bold scenes I did. In a way, feel ashamed of the success of Murder.“
Reiterating that a film’s success cannot just depend on how much physical exposure of an actress is put up to titillate the audience, there has to be depth in the story.
Mallika Sherawat debuted in 2003 with Khwaish, but it was Murder that truly cemented her name in the chronicles of India’s cinematic history.
Many More Films, But Never Again A Murder
Post-Murder, from romantic comedies to international projects to trending dance numbers, Mallika Sherawat spread her wings. But the nationwide craze that she unleashed with Murder is a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon, and maybe that’s why, to this day, she is often known by the moniker – the “Murder” girl.
She was part of the multi-starrer comedy blockbuster Welcome (2007) and Double Dhamaal (2011). She even starred with Jackie Chan in the Chinese action film The Myth (2005), essayed a Naga snake woman in the Indo-American thriller Hisss (2010), and was also part of the Hollywood romantic comedy Politics of Love. Not many would remember, but she also played a key role in the Tamil-Hindi bilingual sci-fi film Dasavathaaram (2008) alongside Kamal Haasan.
She now shuttles her time between Los Angeles, USA, and Mumbai, and has mostly stayed away from the spotlight, until her comeback in the 2024 comedy film Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video with Triptii Dimri and Rajkummar Rao. But she’s stealing the show for real in the ongoing second season of the reality show The Traitors.
A Traitorous Glamour Queen
Mallika Sherawat has been the spark of The Traitors Season 2, hosted by Karan Johar, since the beginning. Her devil-may-care attitude, glamorous outfits and an air of confidence with which she struts into every room have got the internet raving about her.
Mallika Sherawat had turned down reality shows for years, until The Traitors Season 2, which she remarked appealed to her for its strategic concept.
Her unfiltered remarks with fellow contestants – openly claiming to be the highest-paid of them all on the show, to a few earlier promos where she unabashedly claimed that Tom Cruise had a crush on her – have been met with equal wonder and appreciation on social media.
While her nonchalant vibe on the show has been an attractive element, she has also received backlash for certain comments.
One of them was when she made a brutal jab at Rhea Chakraborty by saying, “Rhea, you were in jail. This is a big comeback for you.” Social media was aghast, as it came across as rather insensitive, going back to the public trial that Rhea Chakraborty had undergone during the Sushant Singh Rajput murder case.
Mallika Sherawat comment on Rhea Chakraborty Jail and Comeback 🧐
The Traitors show will surely have so many kalesh this time 🤣#TheTraitors pic.twitter.com/Nm57YOmbkA
— Miss Filmy (@MissFilmyAddict) August 11, 2026
Another clip from the recent sixth episode of The Traitors went viral, where Mallika Sherawat was suggesting setting up Shweta Tiwari with a European man as they are much better, which also left the internet divided.
The most recent one was Mallika Sherawat claiming her green shimmery dress, worn in one of the episodes, was a Dolce & Gabbana creation, while Shalini Passi called her out on it being counterfeit. That led to a trail of social media memes and commentary.
Women are the biggest enemies of Women!!
Malika Sherwat : Tell me !! Did you people like my “Dolce” outfit?
Shweta Tiwari : Aapne Phir se Gucci Nahi Pheni?
Malika Sherwat : No because it’s Gold, I will wear Gucci in party!!
Next : Shweta, Shalini Passi and other women gets… pic.twitter.com/PBEWVIZAzP
— Rohit (@Iam_Rohit_G) August 18, 2026
Either way, this is a balance between good and bad; either way, Mallika Sherawat wins, as she is definitely the centre of attention.
It’s been quite the journey for the actress, but it has all been made by her. As the remaining episodes of The Traitors roll in, only time will tell if she still owns the spotlight.
ALSO READ | Tour Traitors 2 Star Mallika Sherawat’s LA Mansion With A Pool, Trimmed Lawn, And French Doors
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