Apu returns to The Simpsons after 10 years with a new Indian voice

Apu has finally spoken! On Oct 18, The Simpsons brought back the long-time character in its recent episode, Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening, a decade after controversy erupted over the character's depiction and the fact that a white man, Hank Azaria, originally voiced a South Asian character. This time, the makers have chosen Sunil Malhotra (known for Grey’s Anatomy, The Legend of Vox Machina) to lend his voice to the character.

In the new Halloween episode, Apu, the owner of the Kwik-E-Mart, makes a surprise appearance as a mysterious killer behind a robot uniform and mask.

Not only Apu, but his wife, Manjula, also makes a comeback with a new voice, voiced by Janina Gavankar.

Sharing a post on Apu and his wife's homecoming, Janina and Sunil shared a joint post on Instagram, writing, ''APU IS BACK.After eight years of silence, Apu returns to Springfield, now voiced by South Asian actor @ThatSunil, with @Janina as Manjula.

“Bringing Apu back feels like a reclamation. It truly IS his homecoming.” — @thatSunil Malhotra. “After 22 years of friendship, I know Sunil is the perfect person to bring Apu home.” — @Janina Gavankar.''

Apu last had a proper speaking role in The Simpsons in 2017. Voiced by Hank Azaria, the character faced allegations of being a racist stereotype. The debate gained more attention after the 2017 documentary “The Problem With Apu” by comedian Hari Kondabolu, which highlighted how Apu’s portrayal affected how South Asian people were perceived and bullied in the US.

Following the criticism, Azaria agreed that it was wrong to continue voicing the character. He told The New York Times that “once I realized that that was the way this character was thought of, I just didn’t want to participate in it anymore.”

Apu has made an appearance in the episodes, but he has remained mostly silent, and was kept in the background.

The Simpsons is streaming on Jio Hotstar.