Not everyone has embraced the Khandagale approach. Traditionalist scholar Dr. Alistair Finch of Oxford called Part 21 “a pretentious erasure of authorial intent,” writing in The Times Literary Supplement: “This is not Shakespeare. It is Ruks Khandagale using Shakespeare as a trampoline to show off her own neuroses.”
Khandagale’s response was characteristically blunt. During a post-show Q&A at the Edinburgh Fringe, she said: “Shakespeare stole plots from Holinshed, Plutarch, and Cinthio. If he could remix, so can I. The only difference is that I admit it.”
Audiences, however, have voted with their feet. Her 2024 production of Part 21: Lear’s Third Daughter (focusing on the entirely invented Cordelia’s sister, “Adira”) sold out all 31 shows within 48 hours. actress ruks khandagale and shakespeare part 21 work
What’s next for actress Ruks Khandagale and her Shakespeare Part 21 work? Rumors are swirling about a digital installment. According to industry insiders, Khandagale is developing “The 21st Algorithm”—an AI that ingests all of Shakespeare’s texts and then generates new gaps: moments between moments, conversations never had, deaths never shown.
An anonymous source from her production company, Khandagale Unbound, leaked a project proposal titled Part 21.0: The Ghost in the Folio. It describes a holographic performance where the live actress interacts with deepfake versions of Shakespearean characters who say things the real Shakespeare never wrote—yet somehow should have. Not everyone has embraced the Khandagale approach
If successful, it will further blur the line between interpretation and creation, between actor and author. And Ruks Khandagale will be standing exactly where she wants to be: in the hallway of Part 21, holding the door open for all of us.
Why does the comparison to Shakespeare matter for an actress like Ruks Khandagale? It signifies a maturation of the medium. For years, the "web series" label in India was dismissed as low-brow. However, actresses like Khandagale are reclaiming the space, proving that genre fare can house complex performances. It is Ruks Khandagale using Shakespeare as a
The fascination with "Part 21" implies a narrative continuity—a saga. It suggests that viewers are not just watching disjointed episodes, but following the evolution of a performer. Whether she is navigating the complexities of a joint family drama or the shadows of a crime thriller, Khandagale brings a theatricality that commands attention.