Jirayudh Sinthupan, Director of the South Asian Studies Centre at Chulalongkorn University, is on a mission to bring Begum Rokeya’s groundbreaking work, Sultana’s Dream, to life as a graphic novel.
Written in 1905, this visionary story imagines a utopia where women lead society while men are confined to domestic quarters—a radical inversion of the gender norms of its time. For Jirayudh, Rokeya’s ideas remain strikingly ahead of their time. “She has left such a huge legacy in feminist thoughts and also the women’s movement in India and Bangladesh,” he says, highlighting her progressiveness and vision.
Jirayudh’s journey into this project was deeply personal, rooted in his love for Bengal’s culture, history and social movements. “My interest lies in the Bengal region and women’s movements in particular,” he explains.
This passion led him to collaborate with the Bangladeshi Embassy in Thailand, which has supported the project. “His Excellency took an interest in this project, especially since Bangladesh celebrates Begum Rokeya Day every ninth of December,” Jirayudh adds.
The adaptation of Sultana’s Dream is driven by Jirayudh’s belief in making this important work accessible to a modern audience. “Because of my love of graphic novels, I decided to turn this work into a graphic novel, too, so Thai and English speakers can easily access this important piece of work,” he says.
To bring the vision to life, Jirayudh sought the expertise of Nicolas Verstappen, a Belgian scholar and author of The Art of Thai Comics: A Century of Strips and Stripes. Nicolas, who is also Jirayudh’s colleague at Chulalongkorn University and an expert in graphic novels and comic arts, recommended one of his former students, Sasinan Sirimahattano, a celebrated Thai graphic novelist. “We looked at different styles and decided on Sasinan’s work, which perfectly complements Rokeya’s vision,” Jirayudh shares.
“We have stayed 100% true to the original text because its themes are still relevant. We’re still dreaming of flying cars, households powered by green energy and technologies that turn dry areas into lush urban areas,” Jirayudh explains.
With its timeless exploration of equality and innovation, Sultana’s Dream continues to inspire. The graphic novel is set for release around March 2025, coinciding with the 120th anniversary of the original publication and near UNESCO’s International Mother Language Day.
