Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan recovering after being stabbed by intruder at his home

Saif Ali Khan, one of Bollywood’s most popular actors, is recovering in hospital after a knife became lodged in his spine during an attack by an intruder in his Mumbai home.

Medical officials said Khan sustained six stab wounds in the attack, which took place during a 2am altercation with an intruder who had entered the family home he shares with his wife, the Bollywood superstar Kareena Kapoor, and their two children.

He was taken to hospital in the early hours of Thursday with two deep cuts in his back from being stabbed with a knife, and minor injuries on his neck and hands, and was taken immediately into surgery. By Thursday afternoon, Khan’s representatives said he was “out of danger” and recovering in intensive care.

Niraj Uttamani, chief operating officer of Mumbai’s Lilavati hospital where Khan was taken, said: “Fortunately, the injuries, while deep, were managed very well by our medical team. Khan is in the ICU but is recovering steadily. We anticipate shifting him to the general ward in a day or two.”

Crowds outside Lilavati hospital where Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan underwent surgery for stab injuries. Photograph: Rajanish Kakade/AP

Nitin Dange, the neurosurgeon who operated on Khan, said it had been a “delicate operation” to remove a knife that had been lodged in the middle section of his spine. “We successfully removed the foreign object and repaired the spinal damage to prevent further complications,” said Dange.

Mumbai police said they believed a staff member had let the intruder into the home, a penthouse apartment in Mumbai’s affluent Bandra district, and helped them circumvent the security and CCTV systems for the purposes of theft.

The whole family, including the couple’s two sons, had been home and asleep, but were woken by another member of staff who raised the alarm. According to police, the intruder had been locked in a room by staff but managed to escape and has yet to be apprehended.

Khan and his wife are often referred to as “Bollywood royalty”. Khan is considered one of the most popular actors in Bollywood, known for playing romantic roles in hit films such as Hum Tum and action roles, most recently in Devara: Part 1, as well as starring in the hit Netflix thriller series Sacred Games.