The Simpsons brought back fan favorite Apu Nahasapeemapetilon on Sunday night’s episode, revealing a new voice for the character after nine years.
Apu appeared in “The Revengening” with Sunil Malhotra taking over for Hank Azaria, who voiced Apu in the past. The character has been but not heard on since the October 2017 episode “The Serfsons” and his new voice was a surprise for fans as the creators didn’t announce the casting in advance.
“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,” Malhotra told Variety. “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? Could they bring him back in a way that acknowledged and apologized 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?”
He added that he didn’t want “to be the butt of the joke” and said he would only consider the role if he could meet first with showrunner Matt Selman and co-executive producer Cesar Mazariegos.
“It was the beginning of a deeply collaborative experience that I hope is equally satisfying for longtime fans of The Simpsons and for other South Asian kids who, like me, stopped watching at some point along the way,” Malhotra said.
The episode also revealed Janina Gavankar as a new voice for Apu’s wife Majula. Selman confirmed to Variety that both characters will be regularly heard from again on the series.
“We love this character, and wanted to bring him back in a smart, Simpsons-y way that allowed him to evolve,” Selman said. “We’re excited by what Sunil has already brought to the role, and look forward to seeing more of Apu in the future.”
Apu was the subject of 2017 documentary The Problem With Apu, in which comedian Hari Kondabolu discussed the impact the character on people of South Asian descent. In 2020, Azaria announced he would no longer voice Apu.
“All we know there is I won’t be doing the voice anymore, unless there’s someway to transition it or something,” Azaria told Slash Film of Apu. “What they’re going to do with the character is their call. It’s up to them and they haven’t sorted it out yet. All we’ve agreed on is I won’t do the voice anymore.”
In 2021, he spoke about the controversy on Dax Shepard’s podcast “Armchair Expert,” saying, “I apologize for my part in creating that and participating in that. Part of me feels like I need to go to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologize. And sometimes I do.”
