Classic Simpsons character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon made a surprise return to the show over the weekend, almost a decade since viewers last heard from him.
Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu had been part of The Simpsons since its very first season in 1990, and was originally voiced by cast member Hank Azaria.
Hank’s choice to put on an Indian accent to portray Apu had long been a point of contention, but the issue was exacerbated in 2017 thanks to the release of the documentary The Problem With Apu, in which it was argued that the character and voice actor’s performance both played into racist stereotypes.
Shortly after the release of the doc, Hank quietly stopped voicing Apu, although he was never retired in an official capacity.
And in Sunday night’s instalment, a Halloween special titled The Revengening, the character was heard speaking for the first time in nine years, with a new voice actor taking over at the reins.
Apu’s return was an especially dramatic one as he was unmasked as a mysterious figure wreaking havoc on his neighbours in a stand-alone Treehouse Of Horror special.
The Simpsons has confirmed that Apu will remain a fixture in Springfield moving forward, with Sunil Malhotra as his new voice.
Sunil’s previous credits include live-action shows ER, House and The West Wing, as well as roles in animated series like The Legend Of Korra, The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show and Skull Island.
He’s also a prolific voice actor in the video game world, contributing to titles in the Mortal Kombat, Fallout and Halo series.
Albert L. Ortega via Getty Images
In January 2020, Hank officially confirmed that Apu had been dropped from his Simpsons character repertoire, explaining: “We all made the decision together. We all agreed on it. We all feel like it’s the right thing and [feel] good about it.”
Later that year, a number of The Simpsons’ Black characters – including Dr Julius Hibbert and Moe’s regular Carl Carlson – were recast with Black actors taking over the roles, though it would be another six years before The Simpsons did the same with Apu.
