The Indian pilot who helped thwart an apparent attempt to crash a flydubai flight has described how he fought for his life in the minutes after his co-pilot stabbed him and the plane began a steep descent.

Capt Smit Machchhar, who is recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital, told the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, in a video call broadcast live on television news channels that he knew he had to get back on his feet to save the passengers onboard.

"I had so many wounds. I had fallen down," he said on Friday from the hospital, his head bandaged and tubes in his nose, before breaking down as he recalled the attack.

"I was fighting for my life. At one point, I realised that if I didn't get up … then passengers would lose their lives," he told Modi.

Machchhar, who is from Mumbai, was seriously injured in Wednesday's attack but managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter and restrain the attacker as the Boeing 737 descended sharply, witnesses and Israeli authorities said. He has been hailed as a hero for his actions, with world leaders saying he helped prevent a potential disaster.

The flight, carrying 182 people from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing.

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the attacker, an Omani national, was arrested in Saudi Arabia and was undergoing interrogation there. His motive for the attack remains unclear.

Machchhar said that during the difficult moments, he recited the Hanuman Chalisa, a devotional hymn dedicated to the Hindu deity Hanuman and traditionally recited as a prayer for strength and courage.

"Lord Hanuman gave me courage," he told Modi.

Machchhar, who is married and has two children, has worked for flydubai for about four years, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before joining the airline, he spent 11 years with SpiceJet, an Indian low-cost carrier, where he served as a senior commander and line training captain. He logged more than 9,750 flying hours with SpiceJet.