Apu Nahasapeemapetilon spoke again on The Simpsons after nearly a decade. The character appeared in the season 38 episode “Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening,” which aired on Sunday, now voiced by Sunil Malhotra. The Kwik-E-Mart owner is expected to become a regular presence in Springfield once again.Malhotra, an Indian-American actor and voice actor, takes over the role from Hank Azaria. He has worked on animated series such as The Legend of Korra, The Legend of Vox Machina and The Casagrandes, and has also appeared in shows including Grey’s Anatomy, House and Cold Case. His video game credits include Mortal Kombat 1 and The Outer Worlds 2.Apu’s last speaking appearance had been in “The Serfsons,” a season 29 episode that aired in October 2017. The absence came amid criticism of the character’s portrayal, especially for reinforcing stereotypes about people from South Asia and for the fact that Azaria, a white actor, provided his voice.The debate gained momentum with the documentary The Problem With Apu, released in 2017. In it, comedian Hari Kondabolu talked with artists of South Asian descent, among them Aziz Ansari, Aasif Mandvi and Hasan Minhaj, about the character’s positive and negative impacts and his influence on how that group is perceived in the United States.Azaria, who also voices characters such as Moe, Chief Wiggum and Professor Frink, confirmed in February 2020 that he had stepped down from the role of Apu. Since then, the character had remained silent on the show. His return with Malhotra’s voice marks the first recasting since that decision.
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