The attack took place early Thursday morning at an upscale neighbourhood of Mumbai city, where Khan lives with his family.

The city police told BBC Marathi that the actor was injured after a scuffle broke out between him and an unidentified man who entered his house sometime after midnight.

Khan’s family has not made any public statements but his publicity team said it was a case of “attempted burglary” without giving any further details.

Khan has been taken to the city’s Lilavati Hospital where he is undergoing surgery.

Niraj Uttamani, the hospital’s chief operating officer, told BBC Marathi that Khan had received six stab wounds, of which two were deep.

“One is close to the spine. He is being operated upon by a team of specialist doctors,” he added.

Police have launched an investigation.

“An unknown person entered the house of the actor. After that, an argument broke out between him and the intruder,” said Mumbai’s Deputy Commissioner of Police Dixit Gedam.

In a statement released on Thursday morning, the actor’s team asked his fans to respect his privacy.

“We request the media and fans to be patient. It is a police matter. We will keep you updated on the situation”, they said.