I washed cars, and did all kinds of jobs that came my way," he says.
"I slept on pavements. During the monsoon I took cover at bus stops. I ate vada pav and chikki to survive."
But when he did not land an acting break even after a year, he decided to do a reality check.
"One day, I compared my looks in the mirror with Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and Mithun. I felt my height was not that good. Nor was I as good-looking as these filmstars," he remembers.
He abandoned his acting plans and decided try something else in the film industry.
The decision was, of course, hard to swallow. "But then you have to be practical in life," he reasons. "Even today, I take quick decisions."
His advice to all the youngsters who want to make it big in Mumbai is to be honest with yourself. "If you know you cannot make it, do something else. Explore your talent. This is what I learnt 20 years ago."
One of the opportunities Mangat bumped up with during his struggling years was the chance to become a spot boy. To become someone who served tea on the sets to actors like Mithun and Dharmendra and essentially be a helper.
"I had no ego; I did it even though I came from a respected family," he says. "I just wanted work. That is all I was getting at that time, so I did it."
As a spot boy, he started learning the finer nuances of the film industry and the way it functioned.
"I earned less than Rs 10 per day. But at least I was doing something," he recalls. He went on to become a production controller for producer Shantilal Soni who made Raksha Bandhan and College Girl.
"I knew I had to do something in the film industry. I had no technical expertise. I thought production was meant for me because I could make arrangements for film shoots and was good at it."
Also read: 'Ajay Devgan: Valued character actor'
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