Apu Nahasapeemapetilon spoke on The Simpsons on October 18 for the first time since 2017, and the new voice belongs to Sunil Malhotra. The actor takes over from Hank Azaria, who left the role after years of criticism over the character’s stereotypical portrayal of a South Asian convenience store owner.
The return came in “The Revengening,” a Halloween episode that aired Sunday night on Fox. According to Variety, which first reported the casting, Fox sent out no screener, and everyone involved in the table read and production signed NDAs. The episode also introduced Janina Gavankar as the new voice of Apu’s wife, Manjula.
Why Apu went silent
Apu’s last speaking appearance was in the October 2017 episode “The Serfsons.” That same year, comedian Hari Kondabolu released the documentary The Problem With Apu, which looked at how the character affected people of South Asian descent. The show’s writers screened and discussed the film in their own room.
Azaria later announced he would no longer voice Apu. Speaking on the Armchair Expert podcast in 2021, he said: “I apologize for my part in creating that and participating in that.” After that, Apu stayed in the background of Springfield, visible in some scenes but never speaking.
In June 2020, the show also committed to casting culturally appropriate actors for its characters of color. Alex Désert replaced Azaria as Carl Carlson, and Kevin Michael Richardson took over Dr. Julius Hibbert from Harry Shearer.
How Sunil Malhotra approached the role
Sunil Malhotra told Variety that the audition call “made my stomach sink” at first. He turned down his first professional job offer 28 years ago because it required him to play a stereotypical character, and he says he has refused similar work since. Before accepting, he asked to meet showrunner Matt Selman and co-executive producer Cesar Mazariegos.
“Whether the producers knew it or not, I was prepared to walk away,” Malhotra said. Still, the meetings convinced him, and he described the result as “a deeply collaborative experience.”
Selman said the team wanted to bring the character back “in a smart, ‘Simpsons’-y way that allowed him to evolve.” He added that Apu, Manjula and the rest of the family will appear and speak more often now that the Kwik-E-Mart has reopened.
What happens in the episode
Staff writer Nick Dahan, credited on the episode, pitched the idea with Mazariegos. The story follows a man in a “Daft Monk” costume whom Springfield residents accidentally kill again and again. A year later, he returns for revenge and unmasks himself at City Hall as Apu.
The townspeople then speak almost directly for the producers. Marge says they wanted to do the right thing, while Lenny admits “we had so many internal conversations about it.” Carl adds that those talks “kind of just didn’t go anywhere.”
However, the whole thing turns out to be Apu’s nightmare. He wakes up back at the Kwik-E-Mart with Manjula, and Homer invites him to a Halloween party. A “Daft Monk” costume is waiting under the register.
Voice work beyond Springfield
The episode leads into next week’s “Treehouse of Horror XXXVII.” Meanwhile, Sunil Malhotra already has a long list of animation credits, including The Legend of Vox Machina and Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi. In games, Sunil Malhotra has voiced roles in Mortal Kombat 1, Marvel’s Avengers and Avatar: The Last Airbender, Quest of Balance.