Saif Ali Khan, who was brutally stabbed by an intruder at his home on January 16, has now opened up about the details of that night.
The actor was stabbed six times in the back during an attempted robbery and had to undergo two major surgeries, including the removal of a three-inch knife blade lodged near his spine.
In a interview with The Times of India, Saif revealed how he fought the attacker alone until his house help intervened. He also explained why he chose to take his son Taimur to the hospital instead of his wife, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and why they traveled in an auto-rickshaw despite being a high-profile family.
Saif recalled the events leading up to the attack. He and Kareena were asleep when, around 2 a.m., their house help rushed in, warning them of an intruder in their son Jeh’s room.
The intruder was wielding two knives and demanding money. Saif described seeing the intruder holding something over Jeh’s bed that appeared to be two sticks, but it was later revealed to be a hexa blade.
Saif confronted the intruder, attempting to overpower him. However, the attacker retaliated by stabbing Saif multiple times in the back and neck. Due to the adrenaline rush, Saif didn’t initially realize how severe the injuries were. "I couldn’t handle it after a while as there were two knives in action. I was praying that someone could get this guy off me," Saif shared.
It was then that their house help, Geeta, stepped in to help Saif, pulling the attacker off him. Saif and Geeta locked the intruder in Jeh’s room, but he managed to escape through the same drainpipe he had used to enter the house.
Kareena, realizing the severity of the situation, took Jeh to her sister Karisma Kapoor’s house to ensure his safety. Meanwhile, Saif, bleeding heavily, decided to go to the hospital, but no driver was available at that hour. Saif and his son Taimur, along with their house help Hari, took an auto-rickshaw to Lilavati Hospital.
Saif shared that Taimur insisted on accompanying him. Despite the chaos and seeing his father covered in blood, Taimur remained composed, asking calmly, “Are you going to die?” to which Saif reassured him, “No.” This moment provided Saif with some comfort in the midst of the trauma.
It wasn’t until Saif reached the hospital that he realized just how serious his injuries were. The doctors informed him that the knife had punctured his shoulder blade and traveled dangerously close to his spinal cord. "It came really close to being paralyzed. One more millimeter, and we’d be talking paralysis," Saif explained.
The actor underwent a six-hour-long surgery to repair the damage. He described it as the longest surgery he had ever experienced. Despite bearing the physical scars,
Saif counted himself fortunate that his critical veins and arteries, such as his carotid artery and jugular vein, were untouched. "I don’t understand how he missed my carotid artery and jugular vein... it’s not possible to cut somebody’s neck the way my neck is cut and not kill them," Saif reflected.
Saif described as his recovery as "incredible" and "pain-free." While he still bears the marks of the attack, including "30 of the most awful scars," he expressed relief that the attack had not resulted in a more serious or life-threatening injury.
Saif made his first public appearance since the incident at a Netflix event in Mumbai, where he announced his upcoming film The Jewel Thief.
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