Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan recovering after knife pulled from spine following burglary stabbing attack

New Delhi — Popular Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was seriously injured after being stabbed repeatedly by an intruder at his Mumbai home on Thursday, but doctors treating him said he was out of danger after surgery.

“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.

Khan, 54, was “on the path to complete recovery” after receiving stab wounds to his spine, neck and hand, doctors treating him told reporters.

Speaking to reporters after the surgery, Dr. Nitin Dange of Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital, where Khan was being treated, said the actor had “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.

The attack took place early Thursday morning when Khan tried to stop an intruder from entering his apartment in the Bandra area of Mumbai, police and local media said.

Police have identified the attacker and launched a search for him, Mumbai Police deputy commissioner Dikshit Gedam told reporters on Thursday.

“The accused attempted to enter through a fire escape. It appears to be a robbery attempt,” he said.

Khan is one of India’s most popular actors. He’s featured in more than 70 movies and television series and is known for his roles in blockbuster romantic comedies including Dil Chahta Hai, Kal Ho Naa Ho and Sacred Games, Netflix’s first Indian production, which released in 2018.

Khan is even descendent from royalty. He comes from the former royal family of Nawabs, who ruled Pataudi, a small princely state on the outskirts of New Delhi. His father Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was a popular cricketer in the 1960s. His mother Sharmila Tagore is a veteran actress who has featured in prominent Hindi and Bengali films.

Khan is married to fellow actor Kareena Kapoor and together they’re one of Bollywood’s most popular couples. They have two young sons and Khan has a daughter from a previous marriage with another Bollywood star, Sara Ali Khan.