Who voices Apu in ‘The Simpsons’? Sunil Malhotra takes over iconic character

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the Indian shopkeeper from ‘The Simpsons’, has returned to speaking roles with a new voice actor, Sunil Malhotra, taking over from Hank Azaria.

Malhotra made his debut as Apu in the episode ‘Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening’, which aired in the US on 18th October. The character had not spoken in the series for almost nine years.

Apu, the owner of Springfield’s Kwik-E-Mart convenience store, was originally voiced by Azaria from the show’s early years. Azaria stepped away from the role in 2020 following criticism of the character’s portrayal of South Asians.

The debate gained wider attention after comedian Hari Kondabolu’s 2017 documentary ‘The Problem with Apu’, which examined how the character’s exaggerated accent and recurring jokes contributed to stereotypes about Indian and South Asian communities.

Azaria later apologised for his involvement in the portrayal, acknowledging the potential harm it had caused.

Malhotra, an Indian-American voice actor known for work in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘The Legend of Korra’, has now taken on the role. The recasting marks a significant change for the long-running animated series as it revisits one of its most debated characters.

Speaking to Variety, executive producer Matt Selman said, “We love this character, and wanted to bring him back in a smart, ‘Simpsons-y’ way that allowed him to evolve.”

The episode also introduced Janina Gavankar as the new voice of Apu’s wife, Manjula. Selman indicated that the Nahasapeemapetilon family would feature more regularly in future episodes.

Apu’s return comes after years of debate over representation in animation and who should voice characters from particular cultural backgrounds. His recasting places a South Asian-American performer in the role, while giving the series an opportunity to develop the character beyond the portrayal that attracted criticism.

‘The Simpsons’ continues to air on Fox in the US, with episodes also available on Hulu. UK viewers can check Disney+ for availability.