Apu Nahasapeemapetilon spoke again on The Simpsons for the first time in nearly a decade on Sunday’s episode, The Revengening, airing on Fox in the US. The character returned with a new voice actor, India-born, US-raised Sunil Malhotra, after a period of silence that began in 2017 amid accusations of racial stereotyping.
Apu, the convenience store owner who had been voiced by Hank Azaria since the show’s 1990 debut, vanished from speaking roles following the October 2017 episode The Serfsons. Azaria, a white actor, used a heavy Indian accent for the character, which sparked controversy after Indian-American comic Hari Kondabolu released a 2017 documentary, The Problem With Apu. Kondabolu argued that the character was based on racial stereotypes.
The show addressed the controversy in a 2018 episode but faced criticism from some viewers who found the response insufficient. Azaria announced his decision to step away from the role in 2020. He later told Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast that he felt the need to personally apologise to every Indian person in the US.
Malhotra said on Instagram that returning to voice Apu “truly is his homecoming” and called the experience a “reclamation.” Speaking to Variety ahead of the episode’s release, Malhotra described the audition process as unsettling but also intriguing. “When my agent called me about a Simpsons audition, I knew exactly what role it was for, and the idea actually made my stomach sink,” he said. “But admittedly, part of me was also curious. It had been eight years since Apu had spoken on the show, and it got me thinking: Did the writers’ room look different now?”
Malhotra, whose credits include Grey’s Anatomy and The Legend of Korra, said he discussed with showrunner Matt Selman and co-executive producer Cesar Mazariegos how to return Apu in a way that was culturally appropriate for 2026. “It was the beginning of a deeply collaborative experience that I hope is equally satisfying for long-time fans of The Simpsons and for other South Asian kids who, like me, stopped watching at some point along the way,” he said.
Apu’s wife, Manjula, also returns with a new voice actor, Janina Gavankar, known for Apple TV’s The Morning Show. She replaces Jan Hooks and Tress MacNeille, who voiced the character previously.
The episode’s plot unfolds around a man in a “Daft Monk” Halloween costume, a pun on the French electronic duo Daft Punk, who is apparently killed repeatedly by Springfield residents. A year later, the figure returns to seek revenge. He summons the town to Springfield City Hall, removes his helmet, and reveals himself as Apu.
Apu recounts his experience of being nearly killed dozens of times and ending up on The Island of Forgotten Garbage, where Dr Nick healed him. “I am the man you left for dead. I am the one you pretended never existed,” he says. Just as he tries to set the city hall on fire, Marge Simpson intervenes, apologising on behalf of the town. Bart Simpson adds, “But we were so scared, and just didn’t know what to do.” Homer offers to sacrifice himself to save the town, reminding viewers of Apu’s place in Springfield: “You were on our bowling teams, our barbershop quartets, our dad rock cover bands. We took you for granted. I took you for granted.”
The episode is scheduled to be available on Disney+ in the UK next week.
According to Joy Online.
