Apu returns to The Simpsons with a new voice

It’s not a bad episode for latter-day Simpsons, but the big story is just how the show would re-incorporate Apu, considering that original voice actor Hank Azaria, influenced by growing objections from the South Asian community about how the character’s stereotypical origins (and performance by a white guy doing a “silly” accent) left the part in 2107. In an impressively dramatic unveiling in front of his former tormenters, ultimately Apu’s bellowed, “I AM APU!!!” emerged in the voice of veteran voice actor (and regular actor) Sunil Malhotra.

Speaking to Variety about his decision to voice the long-absent Apu, Malhotra was fully aware of the character’s checkered history, noting, “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.” Malhotra, whose versatile work gamers will recognize from the Fallout and Halo series, came around only when showrunner Matt Selman and co-executive producer Cesar Mazariegos convinced him that Apu was being brought back the right way—and for the right reasons. Addressing the lingering hurt so ably expressed in Hari Kondabolu’s 2017 documentary The Problem With Apu, Malhotra explained, “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.”

As for the episode, Homer appeals to the rightly pissed-off Apu at one point, “We took you for granted. I took you for granted,” before later inviting Apu to close up the Kwik-E-Mart for the night to attend the Simpsons’ Halloween party. “Springfield loves you,” Homer pleads, “And after all we’ve been through, I know I could never forget about you. C’mon, Apu, it wouldn’t be the same without you.”

It’s a sweet moment, although plenty of issues surrounding Apu’s portrayal over the years remain. (And the show’s previous attempt to explain them away having so roundly sucked.) But with Malhotra on board and, it seems, fully engaged in shaping Apu’s future on the show, here’s hoping The Simpsons can take the problematic figure’s journey from caricature to character to new, better places.