After Jr NTR, Pooja Bhatt and Raveena Tandon, actors Celina Jaitly, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Kartik Aaryan have expressed shock over the January 16 attack on actor Saif Ali Khan at his residence in Mumbai.
Condemning the alleged lack of law and order in the city, Celina wrote, “Such acts of violence are unacceptable and disturbing, especially in a place that should be a sanctuary.” The 43-year-old actress prayed for Saif’s speedy recovery and extended her heartfelt support to all his family members, including Sharmila Tagore, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sara Ali Khan, Ibrahim Ali Khan, Soha Ali Khan and Saba Pataudi.
Taking to her Instagram Story, Nushrratt wrote, “Deeply shocked to hear about what happened to Saif Ali Khan. My thoughts and prayers are with him, wishing him strength and a swift recovery.”
Speaking to The Indian Express on Thursday, Kartik strongly condemned the incident. “It is scary, it is sad. This puts everyone in a very vulnerable state. This incident has shocked everyone. I hope he is doing well. I will pray for him and his family. I wish him a speedy recovery,” he said. Though Kartik has not worked with Saif, he shared screen space with Saif’s daughter, Sara Ali Khan, in Imtiaz Ali's 2020 romcom Love Aaj Kal.
Saif’s younger sister Saba Pataudi said she is in “shock” and “reeling from this insane incident”. “But proud of you Bhaijaan. Taking care of the family and standing tall would make abba proud,” added the 49-year-old jewellery designer.
Meanwhile, Kareena Kapoor Khan’s team issued a statement on Thursday night, requesting privacy from media and paparazzi as they navigate the difficult time. “It has been an incredibly challenging day for our family, and we are still trying to process the events that have unfolded. As we navigate this difficult time, I respectfully and humbly request that the media and paparazzi refrain from the relentless speculation and coverage,” reads the note posted on Kareena’s official Instagram handle.
Actors Arjun Kapoor and Konkona Sensharma have reshared Kareena’s note, requesting reporters and netizens to give the family their required privacy.
As per media reports, an intruder attacked Saif with a knife at his residence in Mumbai in the early hours of Thursday. The 54-year-old actor sustained multiple injuries and was rushed to Lilavati Hospital around 3.30am.
"Saif has six stab wounds, and two are deep. One of these is close to the spine. He is being operated on by a team of doctors led by neurosurgeon Dr Nitin Dange, cosmetic surgeon Dr Leena Jain, and anaesthesiologist Dr Nisha Gandhi," Dr Uttamani of the medical facility said in a statement.
As of Friday, Saif Ali Khan is being shifted out of the ICU and his potentially life-threatening injury, where the attacker’s knife was lodged near his spine, has been repaired.
The Mumbai police have detained one person in connection with the attack and he is being interrogated at Bandra police station.
On the work front, Saif has Robbie Grewal’s upcoming thriller Jewel Thief in the pipeline.
