Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan is recovering after a knife was pulled from his spine following a stabbing attack

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

Khan’s team said in a statement, “Khan has come out of surgery and is out of danger. He is currently in the recovery phase and doctors are monitoring his progress.”

Doctors treating him told reporters that Khan (54 years old) is “on his way to a full recovery” after suffering stab wounds to his spine, neck and hand.

Speaking to reporters after the surgery, Dr Nitin Dang of Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital, where Khan was being treated, said the actor “sustained a serious thoracic spinal cord injury due to a knife stab wound to the spine”.

He added: “Surgery was performed to remove the knife and repair the leaking spinal fluid. Two other deep wounds in his left hand and another wound in his neck were repaired by the plastic surgery team.”

Police and local media said the attack occurred early Thursday morning when Khan tried to prevent an intruder from entering his apartment in Mumbai’s Bandra area.

Mumbai Police Deputy Commissioner Dikshit Gedam told reporters on Thursday that police had identified the attacker and launched a search for him.

He added, “The accused tried to enter through the fire escape. It appears to be a robbery attempt.”

Khan is one of the most popular actors in India. He has appeared in over 70 films and television series, and is known for his roles in blockbuster romantic comedies including Dil chahta hai, Kal ho na ho and Sacred GamesIt is Netflix’s first Indian production, which was released in 2018.

Khan even comes from the royal family. He comes from the erstwhile 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 famous cricketer in the 1960s. His mother Sharmila Tagore is a veteran actress who has appeared in prominent Hindi and Bengali films.

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