Mallika Sherawat Biography: Wiki, Age, Height, Family, Husband, Movies & More.

Mallika Sherawat is a famous Indian actress known for her bold and confident style. Her real name is Reema Lamba. She was born in a small village in Haryana and went on to become one of the most talked-about actresses in Bollywood. She is famous for films like Khwahish, Murder, Welcome, and Double Dhamaal. She also acted in Chinese films with Jackie Chan and tried to build a career in Hollywood. In 2026, she joined the reality show The Traitors Season 2 on Amazon Prime Video. This article covers everything about Mallika Sherawat.

Big news: Mallika Sherawat stars as a contestant on Prime Video's reality game show The Traitors Season 2, hosted by Karan Johar. Shot at Jaisalmer's Suryagarh Palace, the series premieres on August 13, 2026, with new episodes rolling out weekly on every Thursday on Amazon Prime Video.

Key highlights: Mallika Sherawat is known for bold on-screen roles in films like Khwahish (2003) and Murder (2004). She became one of the few Bollywood stars who tried to cross over to Hollywood with films like Hisss (2010) and Politics of Love (2011). She is also famous for her item numbers and her long career of more than 20 years in films.

Mallika Sherawat Quick Facts

Mallika Sherawat Early Life and Background

Mallika Sherawat was born as Reema Lamba on 24 October 1976 in Moth, a small village in the Hisar district of Haryana. She was born into a Jat family. Her father Mukesh Kumar Lamba retired as a senior engineer from the Irrigation Department of the Haryana government. Her family belonged to the lineage of Seth Chhaju Ram, a well-known Jat philanthropist.

She chose the stage name Mallika, which means "empress", to avoid confusion with other actresses named Reema. Sherawat is her mother's maiden name. She uses her mother's surname because of the support her mother gave her through the years.

Mallika grew up in a middle-class joint family. She has said that male members were given more preference in her family, and she was never allowed to go out at night. She was so upset with this that she finally ran away from home to become an actress. Her father was so angry that he disowned her and stopped her from using his surname. That is one reason she took up her mother's name. Later, the family reconciled and accepted her career.

Mallika Sherawat Education

Mallika studied at Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, in New Delhi. She was one of the toppers in her class and took part in many extra-curricular activities. She then joined Miranda House, Delhi University, and completed a degree in Philosophy. Before films, she also worked as an air hostess for a few months.

Mallika Sherawat Career Beginnings

Before entering films, Mallika appeared in television commercials with big stars. She did an ad with Amitabh Bachchan for BPL and another with Shah Rukh Khan for Hyundai Santro. After the Shah Rukh Khan ad, she started getting more commercial offers. She also appeared in music videos like "Maar Dala", "Lak Tunu Tunu", and "Dil Chori Sada Ho Gaya".

Her first film was Jeena Sirf Merre Liye (2002), where she had a small role and was credited as Reema Lamba.

Mallika Sherawat Rise to Fame

Mallika got noticed with the 2003 film Khwahish. The film had many bold kissing scenes, which made it the talk of the town. But her real breakthrough came in 2004 with Murder, a film inspired by Hollywood's Unfaithful. Her bold role in the film made her a star, and she was nominated for Best Actress at the Zee Cine Awards. Murder became one of the biggest hits of that year.

She was now known as a sex symbol of Bollywood. She also became known for expressing her opinions openly, which often created headlines.

Mallika Sherawat International Career

In 2005, Mallika acted in the Chinese film The Myth with Jackie Chan. She played an Indian girl who saves Chan's character from a river. This was her first international film. She promoted the film at the Cannes Film Festival and grabbed a lot of media attention. Time magazine's critic even called her "the next big thing".

She later acted in the Hollywood film Hisss (2010), co-starring Irrfan Khan and directed by Jennifer Lynch. She promoted the film at Cannes with live snakes. In 2011, she acted in Politics of Love, a romantic comedy set during Barack Obama's US presidential campaign.

Mallika Sherawat Notable Bollywood Films

She also appeared in famous item numbers like "Mayya Mayya" from Guru (2007), "Jalebi Bai" from Double Dhamaal (2011), "Shalu Ke Thumke" from Bin Bulaye Baraati (2011), "Laila" from Tezz (2012), and "Ghaghara" from Dirty Politics (2015).

Mallika Sherawat on The Traitors India (2026)

In 2026, Mallika Sherawat joined The Traitors Season 2 on Amazon Prime Video, hosted by Karan Johar. The show was shot at the beautiful Suryagarh Palace in Jaisalmer. The series premieres on 13 August 2026, with new episodes releasing every Thursday. Fans are excited to see Mallika in a completely different avatar - as a player in a mind game show.

Mallika Sherawat Family

Mallika has one brother, Vikram Lamba, who is a film producer. She shares a close bond with her mother, Santosh Sherawat, whose maiden name she carries. Mallika has no children.

Mallika Sherawat Personal Life

Mallika married Delhi-based pilot Karan Singh Gill in 1997, during her short stint as an air hostess. They later divorced. She kept the marriage a secret for a long time because she feared that the stigma of divorce would stop her rise in Bollywood.

She later dated Cyrille Auxenfans, a French real estate agent, in 2017. She was also rumoured to be linked with Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas. In 2013, she starred in the reality dating show Bachelorette India, where contestant Vijay Singh won the finale, but she never married him.

Mallika is a vegan. She loves travelling, dancing, and practising yoga. She owns a pet dog named Lily. She is a follower of spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi.

Mallika Sherawat Social Media

Mallika is active on Instagram, Twitter (X), and Facebook. She shares her photoshoots, film updates, red carpet moments, and her daily life with her fans on these platforms.

Mallika Sherawat Awards and Honours

• 2008: Renaissance Artist Award at the 16th Annual Diversity Awards, California
• 2009: Honoured for her work in arts by the Mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey
• 2009: Honorary citizenship of Los Angeles
• 2010: Kalaakar Award for Hisss
• 2011: Best Actress at Gotham Screen Film Festival for Hisss
• 2015: International Youth Icon Award at the 23rd Kalaakar Award
• 2020: Diversity Award in Los Angeles with Hollywood actor Benjamin Bratt

Mallika Sherawat Activism

Mallika has been involved in women's rights activism. She discussed women's issues at the 65th United Nations DPI/NGO Conference in 2014. In 2018, at the Cannes Film Festival, she locked herself in a cage for twelve hours to support the Free A Girl India NGO, which works for children rescued from sex trafficking.

Mallika Sherawat Controversies

• Dirty Politics poster: She was criticised for sitting on a car with the Indian flag in the film's poster.
• Hisss topless scene: She later clarified that she was wearing a body suit in the scene.
• Fight with Emraan Hashmi: They had a feud during the promotions of Murder and did not talk for a few years.
• Vulgar dance case: In 2006, a complaint was filed against her for a dance performance at a New Year's event.
• Comments on India: Her statements about women's safety and progress in India were criticised by many.

Mallika Sherawat Net Worth and Lifestyle

Mallika has a luxurious lifestyle in Los Angeles. She owns a big car collection including a Mercedes, Lamborghini Aventador, Rolls Royce Dawn, McLaren 720s, and Ferrari 812 Superfast. In 2008, she reportedly charged around Rs 3.5 crores for a CD and cassettes advertisement. Her exact net worth is not public, but she is known to be wealthy.

Mallika Sherawat Favorites

Lesser Known Facts About Mallika Sherawat

• Her real name is Reema Lamba. "Mallika" means empress and "Sherawat" is her mother's maiden name.
• She ran away from home to become an actress and sold her grandmother's jewellery for money.
• For auditions, she used to travel by local trains because bus fares were too high for her.
• Since childhood, she used to copy the dance steps of Madhuri Dixit.
• She worked as an air hostess for a few months before acting.
• In Khwahish (2003), she did 17 kissing scenes with co-star Himanshu Malik.
• She wore diamonds worth Rs 4.5 crore at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005.
• She received honorary citizenship of Los Angeles in 2009.
• She refused to pose nude for Playboy magazine.
• She has reportedly got her whole body insured.
• She has met famous people like Barack Obama and Bill Gates.
• She is often called a look-alike of Hollywood actress Halle Berry.
• She is a vegan and regularly practises yoga.
• She was once a judge panel member and Advisory Board member of the Asian Academy of Film and Television.
• Her first signed Hindi film was Kab Kyon Kahan, which was later shelved.

Mallika Sherawat Filmography

Frequently Asked Questions About Mallika Sherawat (FAQs)

Final Words on Mallika Sherawat

Mallika Sherawat's journey is full of courage. She left a small village in Haryana, broke family rules, and chased her dream in Bollywood. She faced criticism, controversies, and many rejections, but she always stayed bold. She became a star in India, worked with Jackie Chan in China, and even made her way to Hollywood. Now, after all these years, she is back in the spotlight on The Traitors Season 2 in 2026. Mallika Sherawat remains one of the most fearless actresses of her time.