Abiden Behranwala was a consultant general surgeon in Mumbai, India. He was born in what was then Bombay on 28 July 1934, the son of Abdali Behranwala, a businessman, and Sarabai Behranwala, and grew up in the city. His mother was loving and encouraging, nurturing him through difficult financial times. He developed resilience early in life and never complained of the hardships along the way as he pursued his passion for surgery. He attended St Xavier’s High School and College in Bombay, and then studied medicine at the BJ Medical College in Poona and the Grant Medical College back in Bombay. He completed his MB BS in 1960 and an MS in 1964. He went to the UK for further surgical training and remained proud of becoming a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, which he gained in 1966. He fondly narrated many anecdotes regarding the FRCS examination with its esteemed board of examiners including McNeill Love, author of Love and Bailey’s famous *Short practice of surgery* (London, H K Lewis & Co), which was a dominant textbook in South Asia. He returned to Bombay in 1967 and developed a well-established surgical practice. He was awarded for his work carrying out vasectomies as part of the Indian Government’s initiative to control population overgrowth in 1972. He demonstrated good leadership skills in setting up a well-equipped clinic staffed with nearly 15 personnel. He facilitated the medical process for Indians to go to work in the Middle Eastern countries whilst maintaining integrity. He was a true ‘birth to grave’ doctor with a strong drive to make surgical care accessible and affordable to all with his numerous dedicated charitable works. He was a lecturer in surgery at the Government Dental Medical College. In his later surgical life, he was a trainer in general surgery for the national board examinations of India and became a professor. He was aptly described by one of his trainees as ‘A phenomenal teacher and above all a great human being’. In addition to training junior doctors, he was also an advocate for respect, recognition and fair reward for paramedical staff. He was the personal doctor to the head of the Islamic Dawoodi Bohra community, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, and was internationally acclaimed. He remained a doctor to the consulate generals of many Middle Eastern countries. He enthused everyone around him with his virtues of hard work, amazing drive and love for all. He possessed a rare combination of judgement, insight, empathy and humour. He gave wholeheartedly without expecting anything in return and was a joy to be around. His every action, especially his surgical practice and reassuring words, reflected his strong religious faith. His death on 26 March 2020, one of the first in Mumbai from covid, helped raise awareness of the devastatingly consequences of the virus. He was survived by his wife Arefa and two sons, Ali Asgar and Kasim, who also became surgeons. He is cherished and remembered fondly by patients, friends and family for his selfless contribution and compassionate service to humanity. He created a big legacy, positive outlooks and touched several people’s lives in memorable ways.