fan favourite character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon spoke for the first time in nearly a decade on last night’s episode (Sunday October 18).
Apu was first introduced in 1997 during the episode , where the Kwik-E-Mart was voiced by Hank Azaria. He went on to play the character for 29 seasons until 2017 documentary explored the racist stereotypes behind the portrayal.
Apu disappeared into the background after that and in 2020, Azaria confirmed he’d no longer be voicing the character. “What they’re going to do with the character is their call. It’s up to them and they haven’t sorted it out yet. All we’ve agreed on is I won’t do the voice anymore. We all made the decision together. We all agreed on it. We all feel like it’s the right thing and good about it,” he explained.
The following year, he apologised for his part in bringing Apu to life. “Part of me feels like I need to go around to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologise, and sometimes I do when it comes up.”
During last night’s episode of The Simpsons, Apu returned in a speaking role for the first time since 2017’s . Apu is now voiced by Sunil Malhotra while Apu’s wife Manjula is played by Janina Gavankar.
The Halloween special sees a masked figure take revenge on the people of Springfield before revealing himself as Apu. He explains that he spent the past few years abandoned on The Island Of Forgotten Garbage. “I am the man you left for dead. I am the one you pretended never existed!”
Apu's new voice has been revealed.
It is the first time the character has spoke in almost a decade. pic.twitter.com/HjzHVjaM0S
“It would have been so easy to bring me back,” his meta-speech continued.
“Apu, we’re so sorry we left you for dead. Believe me, we wanted to do the right thing,” said Marge, trying to stop Apu from destroying the town. “But we were so scared, and just didn’t know what to do,” added Bart. Eventually Apu realised it was all a dream, and was invited to The Simpsons’ halloween party.
“We love this character, and wanted to bring him back in a smart, ‘Simpsons’-y way that allowed him to evolve,” co-showrunner Matt Selman said. “We’re excited by what Sunil has already brought to the role, and look forward to seeing more of Apu in the future.”
Apu is officially back!!!! pic.twitter.com/25FBva9J9i
— Out of Context Simpsons Treehouse of Horror 🎃 (@OOCCouchGags) October 19, 2026
“When my agent called me about a audition, I knew exactly what role it was for, and the idea actually made my stomach sink,” Malhotra said in an interview with . “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? Could they bring him back in a way that acknowledged and apologised for past mistakes? Could I make the character my own, and reclaim him in some way? And could they achieve all of that in an unmistakably way that didn’t disappoint fans?
“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,” he continued. “It was the beginning of a deeply collaborative experience that I hope is equally satisfying for longtime fans of and for other South Asian kids who, like me, stopped watching at some point along the way.”
In 2023, Indian actor Priyanka Chopra said the character of Apu was “the bane of my life” when she was growing up. “Everybody kept asking why don’t I speak like Apu [Nahasapeemapetilon], why my accent wasn’t like Apu.”
Last year, Azaria said that the main reason he stopped voicing the character was because Apu had become “a slur” that was used against Southern Asian people. “We’re not to blame for people turning it into that kind of hate, but we did tee it up.”