Born : 5th May, 1935, Rajula (Gujarat, India) Education : G. D. Arts (Fine) 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; 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 Kapoor and Raj Khosla 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 1971, the Indian government commissioned a short film ‘ABID’ to showcase his creative work. As a cartoonist, he created the lovable simpleton ‘Dhabbuji’. 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. Aabid has also created another popular comic book character, ‘Bahadur,’ which achieved cult status in 1970s and 1980s. 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.