Saif Ali Khan recalls insisting for a stretcher instead of wheelchair at the hospital post attack; says, ‘I pointed at my face and said—I’m Saif Ali Khan'

Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor with their sons

Saif Ali Khan has given a chilling yet humorous account of the night he was rushed to the hospital after surviving a brutal knife attack at his Mumbai home. Speaking in his first full-length interview since the incident, the actor recalled how he walked into the emergency room covered in blood—alongside his son, Taimur.

Despite suffering multiple stab wounds, Saif remained calm and in control when he reached the hospital. His celebrity status, however, made the situation all the more surreal.

"We just walked into the emergency room. I’ve been there before a couple of times, so I knew my way around," Saif said to Bombay Times.

At first, the hospital staff struggled to process the bizarre scenario. "It took them a minute to understand that there’s a celebrity involved and this is a slightly bizarre, absurd scenario. Just took a minute to sink in, you know, that a movie star has been stabbed," he added.

Even in critical condition, Saif maintained his signature wit and composure. "They brought a wheelchair, and I said, ‘No, I don’t think a wheelchair is a good idea, get me a stretcher.’ And then I pointed at my face and said—‘I’m Saif Ali Khan.’ (Laughs)"

It was only after this that the medical team sprang into action. "They did a double take—and then all hell broke loose."

As the doctors examined Saif’s deep stab wounds, they quickly realised the severity of the injury. "They said a good three-four inches of the knife had gone in behind the shoulder blade, working its way right to the spinal cord. It was a massive stab, and part of the blade had broken off."

What made the situation even more critical was that the knife had nicked the cover of his spinal cord, causing spinal fluid leakage. "That’s how close it came—just one more millimeter and we’d be talking paralysis," Saif shared.

Realising the gravity of the situation, the hospital made a crucial decision to bring in spinal neurosurgeon Dr Nitin Dange, who rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night. The six-hour-long operation was a major success, with the spinal cord surgery alone taking 2.5 hours. "It’s pretty big. That’s the longest I’ve ever been in a surgery," Saif admitted.

Despite miraculously escaping paralysis, Saif remains in disbelief over how the attacker missed his carotid artery and jugular vein.