'The Simpsons' brings Apu back after nearly decade with new voice actor

The Simpsons has brought Apu Nahasapeemapetilon back as a speaking character for the first time in nearly a decade, with voice actor Sunil Malhotra taking over the role from Hank Azaria.

Apu returned in the October 18 episode, “The Revengening”, which also introduced Janina Gavankar as his wife, Manjula.

According to Variety, executive producer Matt Selman confirmed that Apu and the Nahasapeemapetilon family will appear and speak more frequently following the reopening of the Kwik-E-Mart.

“We love this character, and wanted to bring him back in a smart, 'Simpsons'-y way that allowed him to evolve,” Selman said.

Apu had remained visible in Springfield after Azaria stepped away from the role but had not spoken since the October 2017 episode “The Serfsons”.

The decision followed criticism of the character’s stereotypical portrayal of a South Asian convenience store owner, highlighted in the 2017 documentary The Problem With Apu.

Azaria announced in 2020 that he would no longer voice the character. In 2021, he said, “I apologize for my part in creating that and participating in that.”

Malhotra said he initially had reservations about accepting the role but spoke with the producers about how Apu’s return would be handled.

“My callback was the first of many times that no one at 'The Simpsons' let me down,” he said, describing the process as a collaborative experience.

In “The Revengening”, Apu appears to seek revenge on Springfield after being abandoned by the town and separated from his family. The story ultimately reveals itself as a nightmare, ending with Apu back at the Kwik-E-Mart alongside Manjula.

The return follows other casting changes made after The Simpsons announced in 2020 that characters of colour would be voiced by actors from appropriate cultural backgrounds. Malhotra’s credits include The Legend of Korra, The Legend of Vox Machina and Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi.

Early social media reactions to Apu’s return included messages welcoming the character back and praising the casting change.