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Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan is recovering after surgery at a hospital in Mumbai after a suspected burglar who broke into his home stabbed him several times in the early hours of Thursday.
The incident reportedly took place around 2.30am while the actor, 54, was sleeping. His wife, Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan, 44, and sons Taimur, 7, and Jeh, 3, were also present in the house at the time of the incident but were unhurt, according to media reports.
Khan was rushed to Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital where he underwent surgery for injuries close to his spine and neck and is now stable and recovering.
Local media reported that Ibrahim, Khan’s son from his first marriage to actor Amrita Singh, took him to the hospital via public transport because he was unable to find a car at the time.
While Khan is now in recovery, several celebrities and politicians have shared dismayed and concerned reactions to the incident, wondering about the recent spate of similar cases in Mumbai, both the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and India’s financial hub.
Actor Pooja Bhatt posted on X, formerly Twitter, to question “lawlessness”.
“Can this lawlessness please be curbed Mumbai Police? We need more Police presence in Bandra. The city & especially the queen of the subburbs, have never felt so unsafe before.”
Jr NTR, who is an Indian actor and producer who primarily works in Telugu cinema and Saif’s costar in the film Devara, posted on X: “Shocked and saddened to hear about the attack on Saif sir. Wishing and praying for his speedy recovery and good health.”
“Deeply shocked and saddened by the horrible incident involving Saif Ali Khan. I just read that he is out of danger after his surgery. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” wrote actor Adil Hussain.
Veteran actor and politician Chiranjeevi wrote: “Deeply disturbed by news of the attack by an intruder on #SaifAliKhan. Wishing and praying for his speedy recovery.”
Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, who directed Khan in Love Aaj Kal and Cocktail, said to News18: “It is shocking to hear about the incident with Saif. At this point, the first things that are coming to my mind are that his injuries are not severe and that he’s going to recover soon.”
“The question is how law and order situation in Mumbai had deteriorated to this extent. Bandra has become itself a lawless suburb. Brazen attacks are taking place not just on Bollywood celebrities. Every high-profile business person or any high-profile business person or otherwise person are living in fear,” columnist Shobhaa De toldNDTV.
Clyde Crasto, national spokesperson of NCP (SP), said: “Attack on Saif Ali Khan is a cause for concern because if such high profile people with levels of security can be attacked in their homes, then what could happen to common citizens? Fear of law seems to be at a low in Maharashtra due to lenience in the past couple of years.”
Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal posted on X: “Shocked to hear about the attack on Saif Ali Khan. Wishing him a speedy recovery and strength to his family during this difficult time.”
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee posted: “It’s very concerning to hear about the attack on noted actor Saif Ali Khan. I pray for his speedy recovery, trusting that the law will take its course and those responsible will be held accountable.
“My thoughts and prayers are with Sharmila Di, Kareena Kapoor, and the entire family during this difficult time,” she added, referring to Khan’s mother Sharmila Tagore.
“The intrusion and knife attack on Saif Ali Khan is shocking. We are relieved to hear that he is stable and recovering, and we pray that tough times are over, and he bounces back to normalcy at the earliest. The fact that it happened, however, only highlights the absolute shambles law & order is in Maharashtra,” wrote politician Aaditya Thackeray.
With several questioning Mumbai’s law and order situation, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis defended the city, saying it was unfair to say it was unsafe.
“Mumbai is the safest mega city in the country; the incident is serious but wrong to brand the city as unsafe,” Fadnavis told the media.
“The police have given you all the information about this. What kind of attack it is and what kind of intention was behind it, all these things have come to you.”
Lilavati hospital confirmed that Khan had sustained six wounds: two cuts which were primarily on his back, with one near the spine, were deep, in addition to another minor wound on his neck and other superficial injuries, reported The Indian Express.
In April last year, two men accused of opening fire outside the home of Bollywood film star Salman Khan were arrested by Mumbai police. At least one of the men captured on CCTV was suspected to work for jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, sources in the Mumbai police told Indian media at the time.
