Amid criticism over Saif Ali Khan's speedy recovery, Javed Akhtar REACTS to knife attack on actor: 'All of us were...'

Veteran writer Javed Akhtar on Friday said he is happy that Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan has recovered following a knife attack at his residence last week. "All of us were extremely concerned. And I'm happy that he has come back from the hospital," Akhtar told PTI on the sideline of the convocation ceremony of filmmaking institute Whistling Wood.

Saif Ali Khan was attacked in his 12th-floor apartment in the upscale Bandra area during an attempted robbery. He sustained multiple stab wounds and underwent two surgeries at the Lilavati Hospital here. The 54-year-old actor was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday.

Police have arrested the intruder, identified as Shareeful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir, a 30-year-old Bangladeshi national who illegally entered India last year and assumed the alias Vijay Das. 

In other news, Akhtar and veteran actor Pankaj Kapur, on Friday, attended the Convocation of the Class of 2024 at the Whistling Woods International, the film institute run by filmmaker Subhash Ghai.

The duo were presented with the Maestro Awards in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the art of storytelling, cinema, and culture. Akhtar said the current generation of budding storytellers is fortunate to have access to film institutions like Whistling Woods.

During his time, everything had to be learned on the job, he added. "We didn’t have teachers; most of what we picked up came from the sets... We learned as we worked. They are very fortunate to have these institutions to guide them,” he said.

“However, there is a difference between college and the real world. They have gained knowledge, but now they must prove they have the caliber to succeed, which is a challenge in itself. Let’s see how well they rise to it,” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI)

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