Popular Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has undergone surgery and is out of danger after he was stabbed by an intruder in his home overnight, his team has said.
The attack took place early on Thursday morning in an upscale neighbourhood in the Indian city of Mumbai, where Khan lives with his family.
City police told BBC Marathi that the actor was injured after a scuffle broke out between him and an unidentified man who entered his house sometime after midnight.
Police have formed teams to investigate the matter.
“Khan has come out of surgery and is out of danger. He is currently in recovery and the doctors are monitoring his progress,” Khan’s team said in a statement.
Speaking to reporters after the surgery, Dr Nitin Dange of Lilavati Hospital, where Khan is admitted, said that the actor “sustained a major injury to the thoracic spinal cord due to a lodged knife in the spine”.
“A surgery was performed to remove the knife and repair leaking spinal fluid. Two other deep wounds on his left hand and one other on his neck were repaired by the plastic surgery team,” he said.
Khan is married to Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan and the couple have two children. His team said they were safe.
His wife said afterwards on Instagram stories that it had been “an incredibly challenging day for our family”, and that they were still “trying to process” it.
She “respectfully and humbly” asked the media and paparazzi to “refrain from the relentless speculation and coverage”.
“While we appreciate the concern and support, the constant scrutiny and attention are not only overwhelming but also pose a significant risk to our safety,” she added.
“I kindly request that you respect our boundaries and give us the space we need to heal and cope as a family.”
The exact details of the assault are not clear yet. Police have said that “an unknown person” had entered the actor’s home.
“After that, an argument broke out between Khan and the intruder,” Mumbai’s Deputy Commissioner of Police Dixit Gedam told BBC Marathi.
Khan’s team said it was a case of “attempted burglary” but did not share more details.
“We request the media and fans to be patient. It is a police matter,” they said.
Khan, who made his Bollywood debut in 1993, primarily works in Hindi cinema and is known for his quick wit and comic timing.
Among his popular movies are romantic comedies such as Dil Chahta Hai and Kal Ho Naa Ho and recent action dramas such as Tanhaji and Devara: Part 1.
His role as an antagonist in Omkara, a 2006 critically acclaimed adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, was widely appreciated.
Khan comes from a family of erstwhile Nawabs who ruled Pataudi, a small princely state on the outskirts of Delhi, and is married into a family of film stars.
His father Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was a cricketer who captained the Indian team in the 1960s. His mother Sharmila Tagore is a veteran actress who has featured in prominent Hindi and Bengali films from the age of 14.
His sister Soha Ali Khan also acted in films for some years.
Khan’s wife Kareena comes from a family of celebrated actors, directors and producers who have been active in Bollywood for almost a century.
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