In a rare and emotional interview, Saif Ali Khan has opened up about a terrifying incident that could have ended very differently. Earlier this year, the actor was the victim of a violent knife attack inside his own Mumbai home — an attack that unfolded just steps away from his young sons, Taimur and Jeh.
Speaking to Esquire India, Saif recounted the harrowing night of January 16, when an intruder broke into his home shortly after midnight. What began as a break-in quickly turned into a fight for survival.
“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 said, recalling the chaos of the moment.
Despite being injured and on the floor, Saif described a strangely calm moment of reflection amid the fear and pain. “It could have been the adrenaline, but I remember thinking life has been colourful and I’ve been privileged… not just in terms of money. So many people have more. But I’ve lived in that rarefied atmosphere of Winchester, travelled with loved ones, the wine, my wife, my children…” he shared.
The attack left Saif with a serious wound to his upper back. Doctors later removed a 2.5-inch blade fragment from his thoracic spine at Lilavati Hospital. They revealed how close the blade had come to damaging his spinal cord — just a few millimetres in a different direction, and the injury could have left him paralysed.
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The attacker, later identified as Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, was arrested shortly after. He had reportedly entered the house intending to rob the actor but ended up attacking both Saif and a staff member with a wooden weapon and a knife.
Despite the trauma, Saif has returned to work. He was last seen in Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins on Netflix, a slick action thriller co-starring Jaideep Ahlawat. Next up is Haiwan, directed by Priyadarshan, which also sees him share screen space once again with Akshay Kumar.
For now, though, Saif seems to be carrying a renewed sense of gratitude — not just for his safety, but for the life he's lived, and the people who fill it.
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