Shahid Kapoor feels his struggling days were difficult -- from renting a number of houses to spending a night in a second hand Maruti 800 to giving 100s of auditions and getting rejected -- yet memorable.

"All these things are a memory. I am very happy and proud of the fact that God has been so kind to me and given me so much. I am glad that I was able to get through all those difficulties in my life, " said Shahid, who spent a whole night sitting on the roof and bonnet of a car along with his "Chance Pe Dance" co-star Genelia D'Souza at the Kamalistan Studios here, promoting their movie that releases Jan 15.

At around midnight Wednesday, the duo arrived near the car in T-shirts and track pants.

Vada pao (bun) and tea vendors were present along with 'khatiyas' (string cot) nearby for the audience.

In the film, Shahid plays a struggler who comes to Mumbai to make it big in the movies.

Sources said the activity, which continued till 7 a.m Thursday, was planned as it resembles the lives of those who come to Mumbai to try their luck and also because a scene in the movie depicts it.

Citing a real-life incident when he spent a night in a car during his struggling days, though he had his house and well-settled family in Mumbai, the actor told: "We always lived in a rented flat and we had to shift from one flat to the other and my family was not in town. Due to some reason we had to leave the flat a day before and I had to spent the night in the car."