Popular Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has undergone surgery and is out of danger after being stabbed by an intruder at his home overnight, his team said.
The attack took place early Thursday morning in an upscale neighborhood in the Indian city of Mumbai, where Khan lives with his family.
City police told BBC Marathi that the actor was injured after a fight broke out between him and an unidentified man who entered his house shortly after midnight.
Police have formed teams to investigate the case.
“Khan is out of surgery and out of danger. He is currently recovering and doctors are monitoring his progress,” Khan’s team said in a statement.
Speaking to reporters after the operation, Dr Nitin Dange of Lilavati Hospital, where Khan is admitted, said the actor “sustained a serious injury to his thoracic spinal cord due to a stuck knife in the spine.
“Surgery was performed to remove the knife and repair the cerebrospinal fluid leak. Two other deep wounds to the left hand and another to the neck were repaired by the plastic surgery team,” he said. he declared.
Khan is married to Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan and the couple has two children. His team said they were safe.
His wife later said on Instagram that it had been “an incredibly difficult 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 speculation and incessant media coverage.”
“While we appreciate the concern and support, the constant monitoring and attention is not only overwhelming but also poses a significant risk to our safety,” she added.
“I kindly ask that you respect our boundaries and give us the space we need to heal and cope as a family.”
The exact details of the attack are not yet clear. Police said “an unknown person” entered the actor’s home.
“After that, an argument broke out between Khan and the intruder,” Mumbai Deputy Police Commissioner Dixit Gedam told BBC Marathi.
Khan’s team said it was a case of “attempted burglary” but did not share further details.
“We ask the media and fans to be patient. This is a police matter,” they said.
Khan, who made his Bollywood debut in 1993, works primarily in Hindi cinema and is known for his quick wit and comic timing.
Among his popular films 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 the antagonist in Omkara, a critically acclaimed adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello in 2006, was widely appreciated.
Khan comes from a family of former Nawabs who ruled Pataudi, a small princely state on the outskirts of Delhi, and is married to a family of film stars.
Her father Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was a cricketer who led the Indian team in the 1960s. Her mother Sharmila Tagore is a veteran actress who starred in prominent Hindi and Bengali films from the age of 14.
Her sister Soha Ali Khan also acted in films for a few years.
Khan’s wife Kareena comes from a family of famous actors, directors and producers who have been active in Bollywood for almost a century.
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