Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the long-running «Simpsons» character who had been silent for nearly a decade, spoke again on Sunday night's episode, «The Revengening,» with Sunil Malhotra taking over the voice role from Hank Azaria. The return of the fan-favorite character marks a quiet resolution to one of the most publicized voice-casting controversies in modern television.
The character's reappearance was kept under wraps until the episode aired on Fox, making it an unexpected October surprise for viewers. Apu had not been heard on the show since the controversy over his portrayal intensified in 2017, when critics argued that the character relied on a stereotypical depiction of South Asian immigrants and that a white actor should not voice the role.
Azaria, who had voiced Apu since the character's introduction in the show's early seasons, stepped away from the part in 2020, saying at the time that he had come to agree with the criticism. The character remained absent from new episodes for years, though Apu continued to appear in older syndicated episodes and remained a fixture of the show's sprawling merchandising and cultural footprint.
Malhotra, a Los Angeles-based actor known for voice work in animation and video games, takes over the role at a moment when «The Simpsons» is in its late thirties on television and still drawing on its deep bench of supporting characters. The show has recast several non-white roles in recent years, moving away from having white actors voice characters of color.
The decision to bring Apu back — and to do so with a South Asian actor in the role — follows a broader industry shift in how animated series approach casting. Other long-running shows have made similar changes, and the practice has become a standard point of discussion in animation production.
For «The Simpsons,» the return is also a test of how a character defined by an earlier era of comedy can be reintroduced to an audience that has spent years debating what the character represented. The episode offered no immediate indication of how large a role Apu will play going forward, and the show has not announced further appearances.
The character first appeared in the show's first season and became one of its most recognizable supporting figures, running the Kwik-E-Mart convenience store and appearing in storylines that spanned decades. His silence in recent years made him an unusual case: a character still widely known to viewers but absent from new episodes.
Sunday's episode aired on Fox, and the character's return was not promoted in advance, allowing the moment to land as a surprise for the show's long-time viewers.