An overwhelmed Saif Ali Khan thanked all his directors for his successful film career that fetched him his Padma Shri national honour Monday.

"I am very proud and honoured to have received this honour. I would like to thank my family and loved ones who have been there for me and the industry for supporting me, " Saif, who is in Mumbai, said in an e-mail message.

"I would particularly like to thank Imtiaz Ali, Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar, Ramesh Taurani, Farhan Akhtar, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Siddharth Anand, Kunal Kohli and Vishal Bhardwaj for having faith in me and making me who I am today, " he added.

After debuting with "Aashiq Awara" in 1992, Saif had to struggle a lot till "Dil Chahta Hai" happened in 2001. Directed by Farhan Akhtar, the film marked a turning point in his career.

There was no looking back for the actor after that as he delivered hits after hits like "Kal Ho Naa Ho", "Ek Hasina Thi", "Hum Tum", "Parineeta", "Salaam Namaste", "Omkara" and "Love Aaj Kal".