Apu returns to The Simpsons with new voice after race row
The Simpsons character Apu has returned to the show, voiced by a new actor, after almost a decade away amid accusations of racial stereotypes.
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon - to give the much-loved shopkeeper his full name - re-appeared in Sunday's episode on US network Fox, titled The Revengening, but now voiced by India-born, US-raised actor Sunil Malhotra.
The character has been seen but not heard around Springfield since the October 2017 episode The Serfsons, and his big return to action had reportedly been a closely guarded secret.
Malhotra said in a statement posted on Instagram that it feels like a reclamation. "It truly is his homecoming," he said.
The character, who has been part of the long-running American animated series since 1990, was previously voiced by white actor Hank Azaria, who used a heavy Indian accent.
Indian-American comic Hari Kondabolu made a documentary in 2017 titled The Problem With Apu, arguing that the character — a South Asian convenience store clerk — was based on racial stereotypes.
The following year, an episode of The Simpsons addressed the controversy surrounding the Indian character for the first time, nodding to the accusations, but some viewers found it insufficient.
Others defended the show, saying all its characters were stereotypes.
Azaria first announced he was stepping down from the role in 2020, and he later told Dax Shepherd's Armchair Expert podcast: "Part of me feels like I need to go around to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologise."
'Deeply collaborative experience'
Speaking to Variety ahead of the weekend's latest episode, Azaria's replacement Malhotra explained: "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.
"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?"
The Grey's Anatomy and The Legend of Korra actor continued: "Could they bring him back in a way that acknowledged and apologised for past mistakes?
"Could I make the character my own, and reclaim him in some way? And could they achieve all of that in an unmistakably Simpsons way that didn't disappoint fans?"
After years of Apu having become a mere background character, Malhotra said he spoke with showrunner Matt Selman and co-executive producer Cesar Mazariegos about how they could make the returning fans' favourite more 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."
Apu's wife, Manjula, will now be voiced Janina Gavankar - who previously appeared in Apple TV's The Morning Show - taking over from Jan Hooks and Tress MacNeille.
In Apu's haunting comeback episode, a man in a "Daft Monk" Halloween costume — a play on French electro duo Daft Punk — appears to be accidentally killed over and over again by Springfield residents.
A year on, he returns to wreak his revenge.
Eventually, he summons everyone to the Springfield City Hall, takes off his helmet and reveals himself to be Apu.
He then shares his story of having been nearly killed dozens of times, before winding up on The Island of Forgotten Garbage, where he was healed by Dr Nick.
"I am the man you left for dead. I am the one you pretended never existed," he declares.
Just as he is about to set the city hall ablaze, Marge Simpson — serving as a thinly veiled mouthpiece for the producers — intervenes, telling him: "Apu, we're so sorry we left you for dead. Believe me, we wanted to do the right thing."
Her famous bratty son Bart adds: "But we were so scared, and just didn't know what to do."
Bart's father Homer then offers to sacrifice himself to save the rest of the town, reminding viewers of how important Apu has been to the town.
"You were on our bowling teams, our barbershop quartets, our dad rock cover bands," said Homer.
"We took you for granted. I took you for granted."
The episode will be available to viewers in the UK on Disney+ next week.
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