Los Angeles: Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the South Indian character on ‘The Simpsons’, is now voiced by actor and voice-over veteran Sunil Malhotra.
The character, whom many actors of Indian origin have criticised for stereotyping the community, spoke again in the Sunday night episode of the long-running show after almost a decade.
The character has not been heard since the October 2017 episode, ‘The Serfsons’, and his return was a closely guarded secret inside ‘The Simpsons’ universe, according to Variety.
On Sunday's episode, Janina Gavankar voiced Apu’s wife, Manjula.
The show's executive producer Matt Selman said both characters and the Nahasapeemapetilon family will once again be seen (and heard) on ‘The Simpsons’ more often.
“We love this character, and wanted to bring him back in a smart, ‘Simpsons’-y way that allowed him to evolve,” 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.”
The character was previously voiced by Hank Azaria and has been controversial over the years due to its stereotypical portrayal of a South Asian convenience store clerk.
This portrayal of Apu was at the centre of the 2017 documentary “The Problem With Apu”, in which comedian Hari Kondabolu spoke about how he was bullied because of the impact the character had on perceptions of South Asians. Actor Kal Penn had also criticised the way the character was portrayed on the popular show.
After the backlash, Azaria announced that he would no longer voice Apu. “I apologise for my part in creating that and participating in that,” Azaria said in 2021 on Dax Shepard’s podcast ‘Armchair Expert’.
“Part of me feels like I need to go to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologise. And sometimes I do,” he said at the time.
Meanwhile, 20th Century Studios has announced a sequel to ‘The Simpsons Movie’, scheduled to release in theatres on July 23, 2027.
According to Variety, the film has taken the place of an untitled Marvel project that has been removed from Disney's release schedule. The change means there will be no new Marvel Cinematic Universe film between ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, scheduled for December 18, 2026, and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’, slated for December 17, 2027.
20th Century Studios announced the release date on Instagram, writing, “Woohoo! The Simpsons are coming to theatres with an all-new movie on July 23, 2027!”
Created by Matt Groening, ‘The Simpsons’ is television's longest-running animated series and sitcom. It has been renewed through its 40th season, which is scheduled to air in 2028 and 2029, according to Variety.
Set in the fictional town of Springfield, the series follows the lives of Homer and Marge Simpson and their children, Bart, Lisa and Maggie.
The first feature film, ‘The Simpsons Movie’, was released in July 2007 and earned $536 million at the global box office against a $75 million budget, according to Variety. Directed by series veteran David Silverman, the film followed Homer after he accidentally polluted Springfield's lake, leading to the town being enclosed under a massive glass dome.
A sequel had been discussed for years, but the latest announcement marks the franchise's return to the big screen after two decades.
Showrunner Matt Selman has also said that streaming has helped the series remain part of the cultural conversation and attract new fans, according to Variety.
(With inputs from PTI & ANI)