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Apu Nahasapeemapetilon has spoken on The Simpsons for the first time since 2017, returning in Sunday’s episode, “Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening.”
The character has appeared in the background in the years since, but remained silent amid criticism that he reinforced racial stereotypes.
Apu is now voiced by Sunil Malhotra, an Indian-American actor whose credits include The Legend of Korra. He succeeds Hank Azaria, a white actor who voiced the character for 27 years.
In 2021, Azaria, apologized for his role in creating and performing the character. “Part of me feels like I need to go around to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologize,” he said on Dax Shepherd’s Armchair Expert podcast.
Apu’s last speaking appearance before his return was in “The Serfsons,” which aired in 2017.
The debate over the character’s portrayal gained momentum that same year after Indian-American comedian Hari Kondabolu released the documentary, The Problem with Apu, which examines the character’s cultural impact and the racial stereotypes critics say he embodies.
“When you see Hank Azaria doing that voice in person … without the guise of a cartoon, then all of a sudden it’s like, that’s a white guy making fun of me,” Kondabolu says in the documentary.
“It’s different all of a sudden, it no longer feels like a character.”
On Instagram, Sunil Malhotra shared a photo of himself dressed as Apu beside Janina Gavankar, the voice of Apu’s wife, Manjula. Their animated characters appear alongside them beneath a “Homecoming” banner as confetti falls.
“Bringing Apu back feels like a reclamation,” Malhotra wrote on Sunday. “It truly IS his homecoming.”
Apu’s return brings another new voice
Gavankar is also new to The Simpsons, taking over as Manjula from white actor Tress MacNeille. The recasting is part of a broader shift, as the show announced in June 2020 that characters of colour would be voiced by actors of color.
Since then, Alex Désert has taken over as Carl Carlson and Kevin Michael Richardson as Dr. Julius Hibbert. With Malhotra now voicing Apu, the character joins that roster of recast roles.
The Kwik-E-Mart owner’s comeback was kept a secret until the episode aired. In Sunday’s episode, Apu is revealed as a mysterious figure, then makes his return unmistakable, proclaiming “I am Apu.”
The Simpsons showrunner Matt Selman told Variety the character and his family will appear more regularly going forward. “We love this character, and wanted to bring him back in a smart, Simpsons-y way that allowed him to evolve,” he said.
In an interview with Variety, Malhotra says he initially had reservations about taking on the role, and wanted to know whether the series could bring Apu back in a way that acknowledged past mistakes.
He said his conversations with Selman and co-executive produxcer Cesar Mazariegos helped reassure him and described recording Apu’s emphatic return as a meaningful moment.
CBC News reached out to Selman and Malhotra for comment but has not yet received a response.
Apu’s surprise return has received mixed reactions online. Some fans welcomed the character’s return. One X user wrote, “Apu is back after almost a decade! Curious to hear Sunil Malhotra bring the character back to life.”
Another called the return long overdue, writing that Apu was “one of America’s great fictional immigrants,” and closed with the character’s catchphrase, “#ThankYouComeAgain.”
X user @SarahTran68 reacts positively to Apu’s return to The Simpsons, writing “Apu is back after almost a decade! Curious to hear Sunil Malhotra bring the character back to life.” (SarahTran68/X)
Others questioned the choice.
One X user wrote, “As a brown man, man I miss Hank Azaria as Apu.”
Another X user wondered if the show still mattered, writing, “Astounding that anyone still watches. Can’t say I’ve seen an episode in over 20 years. Maybe it’s time to just let it go?”
X user @NotFredGwynne calls The Simpsons irrelevant, writing, “Astounding that anyone still watches. Can’t say I’ve seen an episode in over 20 years. Maybe it’s time to just let it go?” (NotFredGwynne/X)
