London, June. 17 (PTI): Applauding the Indian cinema for making him 'King of Bollywood', actor Shah Rukh Khan feels the Indian film industry is getting global recognition because of the culture values it portrays.

The 42-year-old star said, "I think the reason why Indian cinema is doing well globally is because of our culture." The successful performer urged the the Indian comunity living abroad to utilise the medium of films so as to teach their future generations about the rich cultural legacy they had inherited from their mother country.

"The Indian cinema is also responsible for making me known globally," he said at the screening of his latest film "Don" on Saturday night at the Nehru Centre, the cultural wing of the Indian High Commission here.

Shah Rukh, who started his acting career in 1988 by appearing in the television series "Fauji", said "when I started on TV, I was not considered a mass hero. I did not look very good. My stardom today is thanks to Asian people who made me a star."

The Bollywood superstar made his film debut in "Deewana", a box office hit in 1992 and later won acclaim for his performances in a series of blockbusters including "Baazigar", "Darr", "Dilwale Dulhania le Jayenge", "Dil to Pagal Hai", "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai", "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham", "Kal Ho Naa Ho", "Veer Zara" and "Devdas".

Recalling his journey to stardom, Shah Rukh Khan said it has been 19 years but "it looked like yesterday" when he made his debut.

He said he would continue to try and give his best shot to entertain the masses.