After nearly a decade, a controversial character from The Simpsons talks again

Springfield ’s most debated shopkeeper speaks again in Season 38, and the show doesn’t tiptoe around it. In Episode 3, titled The Revengening, Apu returns in a Halloween-themed prelude with a distinct Scream-style slasher vibe — and it’s the first time the character has had lines in roughly nine years.

The voice, however, is new. Indian American actor Sunil Malhotra now plays Apu, taking over from longtime performer Hank Azaria, while Janina Gavankar joins the cast as Apu’s wife, Manjula.

• Episode — “The Revengening” (Season 38, Episode 3)
• Apu’s new voice — Sunil Malhotra
• Manjula’s new voice — Janina Gavankar
• Tone — Halloween prelude with a Scream-style slasher setup

From backlash to recast

Apu’s portrayal has been a flashpoint for years, with critics arguing the convenience-store owner, voiced for decades by a white actor, leaned on stereotypes about South Asians. The conversation hit a new level with the 2017 documentary The Problem with Apu, in which comedian Hari Kondabolu explored how the character’s exaggerated accent became fodder for bullying — especially at a time when there were so few South Asian characters on American TV.

After initially brushing off the criticism, the show shifted course. In 2020, Hank Azaria stepped away from voicing Apu and publicly acknowledged the harm the character’s portrayal had caused. Bringing in Sunil Malhotra marks the first time Apu has been voiced by an Indian American actor on the series.

took long enough for The Simpsons to do the literal one thing that The Problem with Apu wanted them to do (recast him with an Indian actor)

That reaction — posted Oct. 19, 2026 by X user American Dad Hope (@GRANDDADWHATTHE) — echoes a common response online as the episode made the rounds.

Apu’s updated voice and Manjula’s new casting both debut in The Revengening, the third episode of The Simpsons Season 38.