In a deleted scene from The Traitors Season 2, Mallika Sherawat was seen flaunting her green Dolce dress. The actress stood up and asked her co-contestants, “Meri Dolce ki outfit kaisi lagi?” However, things took a suspicious turn when Shalini Passi later pulled some of the contestants aside and claimed that Mallika was lying about the dress being from Dolce.
Shalini said, “I wore a green dress and a golden Dolce a week ago. It's not like that (as translated).” She went on to claim that she spotted the brand while Mallika was adjusting her mic and insisted that the outfit was not from Dolce. “While adjusting her mic, I saw the brand. It is not Dolce. She is lying,” Shalini alleged.
Shalini further claimed that she had been wearing branded clothes since she was 17 or 18, including customised outfits, and therefore knew how designer clothes looked. Insisting that Mallika's dress was not Dolce, Shalini told fellow contestants, including Shweta Tiwari, Rida Tharana and Rhea Chakraborty, that she would send them pictures of the green dress. She also accused Mallika of previously lying about wearing an Elie Saab dress.
Later, all of them started talking about the possibility of Mallika being a traitor. Rhea claimed that she is not "completely out of her shaq" of not being the Traitor.
Mallika Sherawat has had a long association with luxury fashion, particularly Dolce & Gabbana, having worn the Italian label for several high-profile appearances over the years. In 2009, The Times of India reported that Dolce & Gabbana had an arrangement to dress the actress for several A-list Hollywood events and premieres, beginning with a suit she wore for her special recognition by the City of Los Angeles.
Her association with the brand continued at major international events. At Cannes 2010, Mallika was seen in Dolce & Gabbana looks on multiple occasions, while in 2013, she wore the label at Cannes, including a lace gown for the amfAR gala. In 2016, during her Time Raiders promotions at Cannes, she again opted for a red Dolce & Gabbana gown for the film's press conference. More recently, in 2024, Mallika revisited the label by wearing the same Dolce & Gabbana gown she had first worn in 2011 to the ITA Awards.
