9 Years Later, The Simpsons Officially Brings Back Its Most Racially Offensive Character

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the Indian-origin character on The Simpsons, who was a regular, made a comeback on the show this week. The show has not featured the character as a speaking part since 2017, after a documentary called out the blatant racist portrayal of a South Asian character with a White actor voicing him.

In the Treehouse of Horror episode, ‘The Revengening’ of the show’s 38th season, Sunil Malhotra debuted as the actor behind the role. Apu’s return was a surprise for fans and much of the regular cast and crew as well, because the production kept it a closely guarded secret.

Original The Simpsons Voice Actor Actually Apologized for Apu

Apu and Homer in The Simpsons | Credits: Fox

The character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon debuted on The Simpsons in 1990 and has been a staple of Springfield since then. He was proprietor of the town’s Kwik-E-Mart and was an Indian immigrant from West Bengal. His biography shows him as a computer graduate who began working at the shop to pay off his student loans and remained there because he liked the people.

In 2017, Apu became the subject of the documentary, The Problem with Apu, by comedian Hari Kondabolu, who claimed that the depiction of the character, his stereotypical accent, and the fact that actor Hank Azaria, a White man, voiced him, made it a racist portrayal. The documentary largely looked at South Asian representation in pop culture and had interviews with several comedians of color.

After the documentary gained traction, The Simpsons discontinued the character after 2017’s ‘The Serfsons’. While he was seen in a few episodes, he did not have any lines. Actor Hank Azaria, who played the role for 27 years, stepped down from the role and apologized (via Armchair Expert).

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.

Now, after nearly a decade, the show has decided to make amends by hiring actor Sunil Malhotra to portray the character in its 38th season. The reactions so far have been surprising, as there was no indication of Apu returning.

The Simpsons Creators Assured Fans That They Fixed Mistakes with Apu

Apu in The Simpsons | Credits: Fox

The Simpsons has been going on for 38 years. While its legacy boasts of being one of the most influential comedies and a surprisingly accurate predictor of the future, the Apu controversy was one of its darkest moments. After the documentary, the show reduced the character to silent cameos, and Hank Azaria left the role in 2020.

However, the makers finally seem to be ready to bring back the iconic character, and this time, The Simpsons actually addressed the controversy in their own hilarious way. The episode, ‘The Revengening,’ saw Springfield terrorized by a slasher called Daft Monk, whom the citizens had killed multiple times before. Finally, the helmeted slasher is revealed to be Apu.

The episode then shows Apu being pushed to the Island of Forgotten Garbage, a Void-like space that has all the one-off or forgotten characters in the show. Apu also addresses his disappearance in a meta way, which is on-brand for The Simpsons. Actor Sunil Malhotra mentioned that his acceptance of the offer was conditional on handling the issue with respect (via Variety).

My callback was the first of many times that no one at ‘The Simpsons’ let me down. 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.

Malhotra also mentioned that there would be further appearances from the character and assured fans that what the creators had planned was exciting and respectful.

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