Actor Vishal Malhotra, best known as Mambo from Ishq Vishk (2003), recently revealed how standing up for himself cost him big. And how only a Toilet Cleaner Advertisement saved him. After years of playing the hero’s friend, he asked a producer for a different kind of role. The reaction shocked him. “When I asked for a different role, the producer took it as an insult,” Vishal told Hindi Rush. “I had no work for two years after that. It was terrifying.”
Vishal shared that he once hesitated to sign a commercial for Harpic, a toilet cleaning brand. He feared it might harm his image. But the ad turned out to be life-changing.
“I wondered, ‘What will people think? It is a toilet brand,’” he said. “But Harpic paid me so much, I bought a house in Bandra. Until then, people called me Mambo or Vetaal. After Harpic, they knew me as Vishal.” Today, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is the brand’s ambassador. But it was Vishal who helped shape the campaign in its early years.
Despite owning a house in one of Mumbai’s most expensive areas, Vishal says he prefers a simple life. He doesn’t own a car and mostly uses Uber or rides an electric cycle. “I still don’t have a four-wheeler,” he said. “My wife uses her car for the kids. Buying a luxury car in Mumbai just doesn’t make sense to me.”
Vishal’s career now spans 30 years. He recently appeared in Meetha Khatta Pyaar Hamara (2024) and Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai (2025). He also runs a podcast called The Vishal Hour, and he produced India’s first NFT-funded film, ILM (2023).
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From losing work to building a new identity, Vishal’s journey proves that even the most unlikely opportunities can lead to big wins.
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Coolie to Premiere on OTT With the Shortest Theatrical Window Ever!
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