The Simpsons Apu new voice actor Sunil Malhotra ended years of silence
Fox kept the Halloween debut under strict non-disclosure agreements as the iconic Springfield shopkeeper spoke for the first time since 2017.
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon has spoken on The Simpsons for the first time in nearly a decade, with Indian American voice actor Sunil Malhotra officially taking over the part. The long-running animated comedy reintroduced the Kwik-E-Mart owner in the Season 38 Halloween episode, “Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening,” broadcast Sunday, October 18, on Fox.
Actress Janina Gavankar also made her debut in the episode as Apu’s wife, Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon, a role previously voiced by Jan Hooks and Tress MacNeille. Executive producer Matt Selman confirmed to Variety that Apu, Manjula and the rest of the Nahasapeemapetilon family will appear regularly in future episodes.
How the return was kept secret
The recast and Apu’s return were kept strictly under wraps until the broadcast aired on television. According to reporting by The Independent and Voiceover Herald, Fox sent out no advance screeners to reviewers, and attendees at table reads were required to sign non-disclosure agreements.
Selman explained the creative decision to Variety on October 19. “We love this character, and wanted to bring him back in a smart, ‘Simpsons’-y way that allowed him to evolve. We’re excited by what Sunil has already brought to the role, and look forward to seeing more of Apu in the future.”
Why Malhotra took the role
Malhotra reflected on receiving the offer in an interview with Variety. “When my agent called me about a Simpsons audition, I knew exactly what role it was for, and the idea actually made my stomach sink. But admittedly, part of me was also curious. It had been eight years since Apu had spoken on the show, and it got me thinking: Did the writers’ room look different now?”
Malhotra and Gavankar addressed the casting in a joint Instagram post following the episode. “Bringing Apu back feels like a reclamation. It truly IS his homecoming,” Malhotra wrote. Gavankar shared her support for her co-star in the same post, writing, “After 22 years of friendship, I know Sunil is the perfect person to bring Apu home.”
The history behind the silence
Apu had been voiced by Hank Azaria since The Simpsons debuted in 1989. The character had not spoken on the show since the October 2017 episode “The Serfsons” in Season 29.
In November 2017, comedian Hari Kondabolu released the documentary The Problem with Apu, which criticized the portrayal as a stereotyping caricature of South Asian Americans. In January 2020, Azaria announced he would permanently step down from voicing Apu, a move that aligned with a wider push in American television animation to cast actors of matching ethnic backgrounds in non-white roles. Azaria later expressed regret in 2021 on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast for his participation in the character’s depiction.
Azaria publicly endorsed the new casting on October 19, leaving a comment on Malhotra and Gavankar’s joint Instagram post that read, “Wonderful job!”
What we know and what we do not know yet
While Selman confirmed that the Nahasapeemapetilon family will continue to appear in upcoming episodes, Fox has not announced how many Season 38 stories will center on Apu. Producers have also not confirmed who will provide the voices for Apu and Manjula’s octuplets in future storylines, and Kondabolu has not publicly shared a reaction to the recasting.
