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The Simpsons is bringing back one of its most recognizable characters after nearly a decade!

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon returned with speaking lines during Sunday night’s (October 18) episode of the long-running Fox animated comedy, marking the first time the character has spoken since 2017.

The character is now voiced by Sunil Malhotra, who replaces longtime voice actor Hank Azaria, according to an exclusive report from Variety.

The surprise was revealed during the Halloween-themed episode “The Revengening,” which also introduced a new voice for Apu’s wife, Manjula.

Who Is the New Voice of Apu on The Simpsons?

Credit: Getty

Sunil, whose credits include Grey’s Anatomy, The Legend of Korra and The Legend of Vox Machina, is taking over the role.

Janina Gavankar, known for The Morning Show, is also joining the show as the new voice of Manjula. The two shared a celebratory joint post on Instagram to announce the news.

“APU IS BACK. After eight years of silence, Apu returns to Springfield, now voiced by South Asian actor @ThatSunil, with @Janina as Manjula,” the post reads.

“Bringing Apu back feels like a reclamation. It truly IS his homecoming,” Sunil said in a statement.

“After 22 years of friendship, I know Sunil is the perfect person to bring Apu home,” Janina added.

Executive producer Matt Selman confirmed that both characters and their family will have a larger presence on the series moving forward.

“We love this character, and wanted to bring him back,” Matt told Variety, explaining that the writers wanted Apu to evolve.

Sunil admitted that he initially had reservations about accepting the role because of the character’s controversial history.

The actor, who is of Indian descent, said he met with Matt and co-executive producer Cesar Mazariegos to discuss how Apu would be portrayed before agreeing to join the show.

He described the process as a collaboration and said he hopes longtime fans and South Asian viewers will appreciate the character’s return.

“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,” he explained.

Why Did Hank Azaria Stop Voicing Apu?

Hank previously voiced Apu for decades before stepping away from the role in 2020.

The decision followed criticism of the character’s portrayal as an Indian convenience store owner, particularly after comedian Hari Kondabolu examined the stereotypes associated with Apu in his 2017 documentary The Problem With Apu.

At the time, Hank confirmed that he would no longer voice the character.

Apu continued to make occasional background appearances on the show, but he had not spoken since the October 2017 episode “The Serfsons.”

How Did Apu Return to The Simpsons?

Spoilers ahead for the October 18 episode.

In “The Revengening,” a mysterious character known as “Daft Monk” sets out to get revenge on Springfield residents. The character eventually removes his disguise and reveals himself to be Apu.

The episode uses the storyline to acknowledge how the character had been pushed into the background of the series.

Before Apu can destroy Springfield, he wakes up and discovers it was apparently a nightmare.

He’s back at the Kwik-E-Mart with his family, where Homer invites him to a Halloween party. However, the Daft Monk costume is sitting beneath the cash register, leaving some mystery about what really happened.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the sweetest part of all was unleashing that righteously rage-fueled ‘I AM APU!’ — on behalf of so many of us — over and over in the studio until we got it just right,” Sunil explained.

“I really feel like we did and I can’t wait for fans to see more Apu.”

The Simpsons currently airs Sundays on Fox.

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