Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan has opened up about the violent knife attack that shook his Mumbai home on January 16 this year, calling it one of the closest brushes with death he has ever faced. The incident unfolded past midnight, while his sons Taimur and Jeh were inside the residence.
In an interview with Esquire India, Saif recounted how an intruder broke in and attacked him, leaving him badly injured. “There’s this crazy sense of how lucky one is because (the knife attack) was damn close. And to walk away relatively unscathed is nothing short of miraculous,” he shared.
Reports revealed that Saif fought off the intruder barehanded, despite sustaining a serious injury to his thoracic spine. A 2.5-inch blade fragment had to be surgically removed at Lilavati Hospital. Doctors later confirmed that had the weapon pierced a little closer to his spinal cord, the attack could have resulted in permanent paralysis.
Recalling the surreal moment, Saif said he felt as if time had slowed down. “It could have been the adrenaline, but I remember thinking life has been colourful and I’ve been privileged… my wife, my children, the wine, the travels with loved ones,” he reflected.
The intruder, identified as Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, was arrested soon after. He had reportedly entered with the intention to rob the house, assaulting both Saif and a staff member using a wooden weapon and a blade.
On the work front, Saif was last seen in the Netflix action thriller Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins alongside Jaideep Ahlawat and will next appear in Priyadarshan’s Haiwan with Akshay Kumar.