The star Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was stabbed multiple times in his house in an affluent neighborhood in Mumbai on Thursday, Indian police officials said.
Mr. Khan, a prolific actor from a family of prominent celebrities, was injured in the pre-dawn hours in the neighborhood of Bandra by an intruder who managed to flee, according to the police. He was taken to a hospital, where doctors reported that he was recovering and in stable condition.
The police were investigating the attack, and believe the stabbing was part of a burglary attempt, said Dixit Gedam, a deputy commissioner with the Mumbai police. The police were looking for one suspect who had been identified, he said. “We know that the intruder used the fire escape to enter the house,” Mr. Gedam said.
Mr. Khan sustained a major injury to his spinal cord, as well as deep wounds on his arm and neck, according to Dr. Nitin Dange of Lilavati Hospital, where he was being treated. He had undergone an operation to remove a knife and repair leaking spinal fluid.
Mr. Khan, 54, has acted in more than 70 films in a career spanning three decades, with roles ranging from fun, romantic heroes to dark, gritty villains. His mother, Sharmila Tagore, was a celebrated actress, and his father, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who had royal lineage, was the captain of India’s cricket team. Mr. Khan is also married to another prominent actor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and his daughter, Sara Ali Khan, is also an actress.
The actor’s representatives released a statement requesting fans and the news media to remain patient while the police investigate.
As news of the stabbing spread, opposition politicians in Maharashtra, the state in which Mumbai is the capital, were quick to criticize the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party over what they said was a deteriorating law enforcement situation.
“If celebrities are not safe then who in Mumbai is?” Priyanka Chaturvedi, a member of Parliament from Maharashta, wrote on social media.
The actor and filmmaker Pooja Bhat called for a greater police presence in the neighborhood, writing on social media, “The city & especially the queen of the suburbs, have never felt so unsafe before.”
Last July, two gunmen opened fire outside the star actor Salman Khan’s house, also in Bandra. The police arrested two men in that shooting, and said the suspects were connected to the imprisoned gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi.
In October, a former Maharashtra state minister, Baba Siddique, was fatally shot by three gunmen near the office of his son, also a politician, in Bandra. Mr. Siddique had close ties to Bollywood stars.