Saif Ali Khan recently spoke about the knife attack he survived earlier this year and shared details of his recovery experience, including why he declined to use a wheelchair or ambulance after his hospital stay.
What's Happening
- Saif recounted the incident and its aftermath during an episode of Two Much with Kajol and Twinkle, which also featured actor Akshay Kumar.
- Reflecting on the night of the attack and his hospital visit, Saif said he insisted on being taken on a stretcher instead of a wheelchair.
- "We walked into the hospital, and they were sleepy in the emergency area. I told a guy, 'Can we get a stretcher?' He said, 'Wheelchair?' I said, 'No, I think I need a stretcher.' He said no. And then finally I said, 'Hey,' because he wasn't waking up, 'I'm Saif Ali Khan. It's a medical emergency.' And we went, 'Oh.' Then you know all the pandemonium broke loose," he recalled.
- Responding to his account, Akshay Kumar praised Saif's courage.
- "Hats off to you for fighting. It was so brave of you. It doesn't happen, let me tell you, you have been a real hero, at least for your son and your family," Akshay said.
- Kajol also mentioned that she was surprised to see a video of Saif walking out of the hospital after being discharged.
- Describing the situation after his surgery, Saif shared, "When it was finished, there were some people from there and a lot of advice on how to go. The media was curious. Nobody was listening to me. I said, 'If the media is curious, we should settle it. Let me just walk out of the hospital because I can walk.'"
- Explaining his decision to refuse a wheelchair and ambulance, Saif added, "It was very bad (pointed to his neck where he stabbed). But it was ok. They stitched it up, and I was there for a week. The back was okay, and it was painful to walk, but I could walk. The wheelchair was not required. Then somebody said, 'You should go in an ambulance,' somebody said, 'You should go in a wheelchair.' My instinct was, why create any kind of panic or worry, even with family, fans, well-wishers, anyone? And just walk out to send a picture message, that you're okay. That was the idea. But then there was so much feedback on that, 'This is fake and that's true.'"
- Twinkle Khanna mentioned that she later spoke to Saif's mother, veteran actor Sharmila Tagore, who said she had advised him to leave the hospital in a wheelchair. Sharmila told her that if he had followed her advice, "there would have been no controversy."
Background
The attack took place on January 16 at Saif's Bandra residence in Mumbai, where he was stabbed multiple times. The accused was later arrested, and Saif underwent several surgeries at Lilavati Hospital before being discharged on January 21.
On the work front, Saif was last seen in Netflix's Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins, alongside Jaideep Ahlawat, Kunal Kapoor, and Nikita Dutta.
Directed by Kookie Gulati and Robbie Grewal, the film premiered on the platform on April 25.
He will next appear in Haiwaan, directed by Priyadarshan and co-starring Akshay Kumar and Saiyami Kher.
Also Read: Saif Ali Khan Reveals Son Jeh And His Nanny Got Injured In the Stabbing Incident: "He Went Mad"