Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Dec 16: Actor Saif Ali Khan has opened up about the terrifying knife attack he survived earlier this year at his residence, calling it a life-altering experience that left him feeling deeply grateful for his health and survival.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Saif reflected on how close the incident came to causing permanent damage. He revealed that the attack resulted in multiple injuries, including wounds to his neck and spine, with a near-miss to his spinal cord.

“I feel incredibly lucky and blessed to have gotten away with it the way I did, because it was very close,” Saif said. “There was a nick to my spinal cord, and that could have led to paralysis, because I had lost feeling in my leg for a while. The idea of being paralysed or bedridden forever is frightening, and still frightens me.”

The actor said the incident may have reinforced his long-held belief that life is a privilege. “I’ve always kind of been grateful and I know every day is a blessing. This might have accentuated it slightly,” he added.

Maintaining his trademark humour, Saif remarked that he feels like he has “nine lives”, acknowledging how often he has come close to danger. “It was quite close, and scary,” he said.

Earlier, speaking on the chat show Two Much hosted by Twinkle Khanna and Kajol, Saif had narrated the chilling sequence of events from the night of the attack. He recalled that after returning to bed late at night, his domestic help alerted him that an intruder armed with a knife had entered his son Jeh’s room demanding money.

“I barged into Jeh’s room in the dark and saw this guy standing over his bed with a knife,” Saif said. “I tried to remember my training and blocked a couple of blows, but then I felt a very hard thump in my back.”

Saif credited their domestic help, Gita, with saving his life. “She pushed the guy off me. He had cut me everywhere. She saved my life at that point,” he said, adding that the intruder was eventually locked in a room.

The actor has since made a full recovery and said the incident has left him more appreciative of life and good health.