NEW DELHI: Indian movie actor Saif Ali Khan, who suffered six stab wounds in a scuffle with an unidentified intruder at his Mumbai home on Thursday, is said to be out of danger.
The Bollywood star underwent emergency surgery at a Mumbai hospital for a wound said to be precariously close to his spine.
Speculation was rife about the motive behind the assault, with some politicians suggesting it could be a hate crime in the BJP-ruled state, while other reports quoted police as suspecting an attempted robbery.
A CCTV grab of an unidentified young man, sporting an orange scarf and a backpack, leaving the building at around 2.30am has gone viral on social media.
Actor’s wife Kareena, two children were with him at the time
The intruder fled from the spot following the incident which took place after midnight at his 12th floor apartment in the Satguru Sharan building, in the plush Bandra area.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Dixit Gedam was quoted as saying that the intruder broke into the house with the intention of committing burglary. Bandra Police issued a statement saying an unknown person was found in the bedroom of Saif Ali Khan’s son Jehangir, at their residence.
The house help, Mrs Ariyama Phillips alias Lima, raised an alarm, following which Saif intervened. The unknown person attacked Saif Ali Khan with a sharp object, injuring him. The domestic helper was also injured in the incident, the statement added. Some reports claimed that Saif responded after the maid raised an alarm when she spotted the intruder in the children’s room.
The couple’s children, 8-year-old Taimur and 4-year-old Jeh, were unharmed in the incident. Other reports said Saif intervened to stop the attacker from targeting his family while they were leaving the house.
Saif’s actress wife Kareena Kapoor and their two children, who were with him at the time, are said to be safe.
“Saif sustained six injuries. Two are minor, two intermediate and two deep injuries. One of the injuries is on the back which is close to the spine. A neurosurgeon is involved in the surgery,” said Lilavati Hospital’s Dr Uttamani.
After Saif’s medical procedure, his team said the actor has come out of the surgery and “is out of danger”.
“He is currently in recovery and the doctors are monitoring his progress. All family members are safe, and the police are investigating the incident,” the statement said.
The 54-year-old Saif is the son of actress Sharmila Tagore and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the former Indian cricket captain who belonged to the royal lineage of Bhopal and Pataudi. Saif was earlier married to actress Amrita Singh, and it was the couple’s 23-year-old son Ibrahim Ali Khan, who rushed his father to the hospital within an hour of the incident.
Saif’s wife Kareena Kapoor is the granddaughter of legendary actor-director Raj Kapoor whose centenary is being celebrated this year.
From the film fraternity, Shahrukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt visited Saif at the hospital. Others sent messages for early recovery.
Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2025