Apu Nahasapeemapetilon has a new voice on The Simpsons. Indian American actor Sunil Malhotra has taken over the role from Hank Azaria, returning the Kwik-E-Mart owner to the show’s speaking cast.
His debut came in “Treehouse of Horror Presents: The Revengening,” which aired Oct. 18 on Fox. Apu had last spoken in 2017, although he continued appearing silently in Springfield.
Participants signed nondisclosure agreements, and Fox withheld an advance screener, according to Variety.
Writer Nick Dahan and co-executive producer Cesar Mazariegos developed the comeback story. Their Halloween episode follows one continuous plot rather than the usual collection of short horror parodies.
Apu Confronts Springfield in a Halloween Revenge Story
Apu’s new voice has been revealed.
It is the first time the character has spoke in almost a decade. https://t.co/HjzHVjaM0S
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 19, 2026
A figure dressed as “Daft Monk,” combining a Daft Punk-style helmet with a monk’s robe, survives repeated encounters with Springfield residents who leave him for dead. A year later, he hunts down those responsible in a story drawing on I Know What You Did Last Summer, as Laughing Place recapped.
When he removes his helmet at City Hall, Apu accuses the townspeople of abandoning him. Marge apologizes, while Bart admits that fear and uncertainty kept them from acting. Lenny and Carl recall numerous discussions that led nowhere.
Homer offers to sacrifice himself and recalls the friendships Apu once shared across town, including their bowling teams and barbershop quartet. Before the confrontation ends, Apu wakes up behind the Kwik-E-Mart counter, apparently having dreamed the violence. Manjula is preparing their children for Halloween, and Homer invites him to a party.
The final shot leaves a complication beneath the cash register: the helmet is still there, its eyes lighting up as Daft Punk’s “Robot Rock” plays.
Malhotra Wanted Answers Before Accepting the Role
Malhotra said the audition initially made him uneasy. He wanted to know whether the writers would acknowledge earlier criticism and give him room to shape Apu, rather than ask him to reproduce a caricature. He had turned down his first professional job offer because it involved a stereotype and had refused similar work since.
“Whether the producers knew it or not, I was prepared to walk away,” he said in a statement. Before considering an offer, he asked to meet showrunner Matt Selman and Mazariegos. Those conversations became a collaboration, he said, and recording Apu’s forceful declaration of his identity was especially satisfying.
Malhotra’s credits include The Legend of Korra and The Legend of Vox Machina. In a post shared after the broadcast, he described the new role as a “reclamation,” according to PEOPLE.
Azaria Announced His Departure in 2020
Hari Kondabolu’s 2017 documentary, The Problem With Apu, examined the character’s exaggerated accent and the consequences of making a white actor’s performance one of television’s most familiar portrayals of an Indian immigrant. South Asian performers described being mocked through imitations of Apu and encountering similar stereotypes in casting.
The series addressed the criticism in 2018’s “No Good Read Goes Unpunished,” with Lisa discussing changing attitudes toward an older work while a photograph of Apu sat nearby. Azaria later told Stephen Colbert that he had not written or voiced that response and was willing to step aside, TIME reported.
In January 2020, Azaria confirmed to SlashFilm that he would no longer perform the voice. He said the decision was mutual and that the producers were still deciding what to do with the character. Later that year, the show adopted a casting policy against using white actors to voice characters of color.
Azaria and Kondabolu had their first public conversation together on NPR’s Code Switch in 2023. In the published transcript, Azaria acknowledged that he had initially doubted the harm described in the documentary and declined to participate. Watching performers he admired describe their experiences changed his understanding.
When Kondabolu said he was tired of repeatedly defending the film, Azaria offered to take those questions himself. “It’s my amends. I need to keep having the conversation. I owe it,” he said.
Janina Gavankar Joins as Manjula, With More Family Appearances Planned
Janina Gavankar, whose credits include The Morning Show, now voices Manjula, a role previously performed by Jan Hooks and Tress MacNeille. She and Malhotra celebrated their casting in a joint Instagram post, with Gavankar noting their 22-year friendship and expressing confidence in him taking on Apu.
Kondabolu welcomed both performers in an emailed statement to The Associated Press, calling the comeback “a clever solution to all this.” He said the producers had not consulted him but added that they had no obligation to do so. He remained proud of the discussion about representation his documentary had prompted.
Selman told Variety that Apu, Manjula and their children would appear more frequently in future episodes.