Apu speaks again on 'The Simpsons,' now voiced by Sunil Malhotra
Apu spoke on "The Simpsons" on Sunday for the first time since 2017, Variety, the Guardian, CBC and the BBC reported. He is now voiced by Indian American actor Sunil Malhotra. Hank Azaria gave up the role in 2020 after critics said the character was a racial stereotype.
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon spoke on "The Simpsons" on Sunday for the first time in nearly a decade, now voiced by actor Sunil Malhotra, Variety, the Guardian, CBC and the BBC reported.
The character returned in the episode "The Revengening," which aired on Fox, Variety and the BBC reported. Apu had been seen but not heard since the October 2017 episode "The Serfsons," Variety and the BBC reported. Variety reported that the return was a closely guarded secret, with no advance screener and nondisclosure agreements for those involved.
Malhotra, who moved to the US from India as a child, has credits including "Grey's Anatomy" and "The Legend of Korra," the Guardian, Variety and the BBC reported. Janina Gavankar also debuted as the voice of Apu's wife, Manjula, Variety and CBC reported.
Apu was previously voiced by Hank Azaria, a white actor, who faced criticism along with the show's producers over the stereotypical portrayal of the convenience store owner, the Guardian, CBC and the BBC reported. The criticism was the focus of Hari Kondabolu's 2017 documentary "The Problem With Apu," Variety and the BBC reported. Azaria announced in 2020 that he would stop voicing the character, the Guardian and the BBC reported.
Malhotra said in an Instagram statement that the return feels like a reclamation. "It truly is his homecoming," he said, according to the BBC. "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 in comments to Variety, the BBC reported. He said he wondered whether the show could bring the character back "in a way that acknowledged and apologised for past mistakes," the BBC reported.
"We love this character, and wanted to bring him back in a smart, 'Simpsons'-y way that allowed him to evolve," executive producer Matt Selman said, according to Variety. Selman said Apu and his family will be seen and heard more often, Variety reported.
What we know: Apu has returned with a new voice actor, and producers say he will appear more often.
What we don't: How viewers and critics of the original portrayal will respond to the new version over time.
Where outlets agree Variety, the Guardian, CBC and the BBC report that Apu returned to "The Simpsons" on Sunday voiced by Sunil Malhotra, replacing Hank Azaria.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.