The Simpsons brings back Indian character Apu, now voiced by woke Indian actor as franchise continues to replace white actors

Sunday’s episode of The Simpsons, titled “The Revengening,” saw Apu speak for the first time since 2017. After Azaria stepped away from the role, Apu was still seen as a background character on occasion, however, he never spoke. Sunday’s episode also saw Janina Gavankar voicing Apu’s wife, Manjula, per Variety.

The outlet said that Malhorta’s hiring had been a “closely guarded secret,” with producers keeping the episode’s table read and production under protocols that included NDAs. Simpsons executive producer Matt Selman said both characters will be heard more often.

“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.”

Hank Azaria, who is white, had voiced Apu, along with many other characters in The Simpsons, since its launch in 1989. His voicing of the Indian character received backlash, including a 2017 documentary titled The Problem With Apu.

In the wake of the documentary, Azaria announced that he would no longer be voicing Apu. He said in 2021, “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.”

Malhotra said he spoke with producers to make sure the character of Apu would be more culturally appropriate and said he had been prepared to walk away if not.

“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,” he said. 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?”

“Whether the producers knew it or not, I was prepared to walk away,” he added, saying that he had declined his first “professional job offer 28 years ago” because the character was a stereotypical “Hindu guy” and he wasn’t willing to be “the butt of the joke.”

“My callback was the first of many times that no one at ‘The Simpsons’ let me down,” he said. “I told casting that I’d only consider an offer if I could meet showrunner Matt Selman and co-executive producer Cesar Mazariegos, both of whom gladly did so. 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.”

In “The Revengening,” part of The Simpsons’ Halloween episodes, Apu is revealed to be a man wearing a “Daft Monk” costume, who had accidentally been killed by the residents of Springfield over and over the year prior. He returns to the town, getting revenge.

Malhotra said of the moment Apu takes off the helmet and reveals himself, “I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the sweetest part of all was unleashing that righteously rage-fueled ‘I AM APU!’— on behalf of so many of us — over and over in the studio until we got it just right. I really feel like we did and I can’t wait for fans to see more Apu.”