Bollywood star 'out of danger' after attack on Mumbai home

Famed Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was stabbed by an intruder at his home last night and has undergone surgery and is now out of danger, his team said.

The attack occurred 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 scuffle with an unidentified man, who entered his home sometime after midnight.

The police have formed a team to investigate the matter.

“Khan has completed surgery and is 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 surgery, Dr. Nitin Danger of Khan's Lilavati Hospital said the actor “suffered severe spinal cord injury in his thoracic spine due to a knife inserted into his spine.”

He said: “Surgery was carried out to remove the knife and repair the leaking spinal fluid. The orthopedic team repaired two further deeper wounds on his left hand and another wound on his neck.”

Khan is married to Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan and the couple has two children. The family has not made any public statements, but Khan's team said they are safe.

The specific details of the attack are not yet known. Police said “an unknown person” entered the actor's home.

“Thereafter, an argument broke out between Khan and the intruders,” Mumbai deputy commissioner of police Dixit Gedam told BBC Marathi.

Khan's team said it was a case of “attempted theft” but gave no further details.

“We ask the media and fans to be patient. This is a matter for the police,” they said.

Khan, who made his Bollywood debut in 1993 and has worked primarily in the Hindi film industry, is known for his wit and humorous timing.

His hit films include romantic comedies like “Dil Chahta Hai” and “Kal Ho Naa Ho” and recent action films like “Tanhaji” and “Devara: Part 1”.

He was widely appreciated for his role as the villain in the critically acclaimed 2006 adaptation of Shakespeare's Omkara.

Khan comes from a family of erstwhile Nawabs who ruled Pataudi, a small princely state on the outskirts of Delhi, and he married into a family of movie stars.

His father, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, was a cricketer who captained the Indian team in the 1960s. His mother Sharmila Tagore is a veteran actress who has acted in famous Hindi and Bengali films since the age of 14.

His sister Soha Ali Khan has also acted in some films.

Khan's wife Kareena comes from a family of famous actors, directors and producers who have been active in Bollywood for nearly a century.