National Award-winning author Aabid Surti has won critical acclaim for multiple creative talents. The list of his creative accomplishments befits half a dozen people rather than one individual.

As an author his output has been prolific, his oeuvre spanning fiction as well as non-fiction, travelogue as well as children’s literature. He has written around 80 books till date, which have been translated into almost every Indian language.

As a screenwriter he has been associated with directors like Raj Khosla and Raj Kapoor on film projects and as a playwright, he has penned seven plays.

An accomplished painter, he has held 16 exhibitions in India and abroad. In his early years, he invented an innovative technique called ‘mirror collage’ which won critical acclaim in Japan. In 1971, the Indian government commissioned a short film to showcase his creative work.

As a cartoonist, he created the lovable simpleton ‘Dabbuji’. The highly original and popular cartoon strip has been one of the longest-running comic strips in India, running without a break for over 30 years. Reprints of the original series continue to entertain millions in various languages. Dabbuji’s fan following includes Ex Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, singer Asha Bhosle and Osho.

Aabid has also created another popular comic book character, ‘Bahadur’, which achieved cult status in the 1970s.

In 1993, the Indian government conferred a National Award upon him. He lives in a quiet suburb of Mumbai and continues to explore painting, writing and meditation.