Nearly a decade after stepping away amid widespread controversy, Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu Nahasapeemapetilon has officially returned to The Simpsons. Voiced by actor Sunil Malhotra, the iconic character made his vocal comeback during the October 18, 2026, season 38 episode The Revengening
following years of silence on screen.
The animated convenience store owner reappeared on screen after an absence that began in 2017. The hiatus followed comedian Hari Kondabolu’s documentary The Problem With Apu, which shone a spotlight on the racial issues tied to the character and his original voice actor, Hank Azaria. Azaria stepped down from the role in October 2017, explaining later that playing Apu didn’t feel right
once he realized how the character was perceived.
Sunil Malhotra Takes Over the Role of Apu
Sunil Malhotra is the new voice of Apu, bringing the character back after nearly nine years of silence. Before stepping into the recording booth, Malhotra talked at length with the show’s producers to decide how to make the character culturally appropriate and respectful for people of Indian and South Asian heritage.
Whether the producers knew it or not, I was prepared to walk away.
Sunil Malhotra, actor
Malhotra recalled how he renounced his first professional job because he was asked to portray a stereotypical Hindu person. However, the actor was positively impressed by the showrunners’ dedication to handling Apu’s return with care, describing it as the beginning of a deeply collaborative experience
that he hopes satisfies longtime fans and South Asian kids who stopped watching along the way.
Following the broadcast, Malhotra shared his thoughts on Instagram. Bringing Apu back feels like a reclamation,
he wrote. It truly IS his homecoming.
How Springfield Welcomed Apu Back in The Revengening
The episode The Revengening
tackled the character’s years of absence through a storyline styled as an homage to I Know What You Did Last Summer. In the plot, a mysterious masked figure revealed as Apu confronts the townspeople of Springfield after being accidentally nearly killed repeatedly.
I am the man you left for dead. I am the shame you tried to bury. I am the one you pretended never existed!
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, character voiced by Sunil Malhotra
During the confrontation at City Hall, Apu accused Springfield of refusing to bring him back and pretending he never existed. Marge stepped up to apologize on behalf of the writers and producers, saying, Apu, we’re so sorry we left you for dead. Believe me, we wanted to do the right thing.
Lenny and Carl also made a nod to the internal debates that went on inside the writers’ room over the past decade.
The tense confrontation ultimately resolved when Apu woke up in the Kwik-E-Mart next to his wife, Manjula—now voiced by Janina Gavankar—realizing the entire ordeal was a dream. Homer Simpson, voiced by Dan Castellaneta, then walked in to invite him to a Halloween party and assure him that no one in town could ever truly forget him.
Character Recasting Across The Simpsons
Apu’s return marks a major milestone in The Simpsons characters with recast voices. In June 2020, show producers announced that white actors would no longer voice non-white characters.
Apu Returns to ‘The Simpsons’ with New Voice Actor Sunil Malhotra After Nearly 10 Years: ‘Feels Like a Reclamation’ https://t.co/3fZlPpRIon
- Carl Carlson: Alex Désert replaced Hank Azaria, debuting in the Season 32 premiere
Undercover Burns
after the casting was announced on September 24, 2020. - Bumblebee Man: Eric Lopez replaced Azaria at the start of Season 32, with Humberto Vélez taking over the role in 2025 for Season 37.
- Officer Lou: Alex Désert took over the character from Azaria in December 2020.
- Dr. Julius Hibbert: Kevin Michael Richardson replaced Harry Shearer in 2021, with Shearer’s final performance airing on February 21, 2021.
- Bernice Hibbert: Dawnn Lewis took over the role from Tress MacNeille in 2021.
- Kumiko Albertson: Jenny Yokobori replaced MacNeille in 2021 during the episode
The Dad-Feelings Limited.
- Julio Franco: Tony Rodríguez took over the role from Azaria in 2021.
- Drederick Tatum: Jay Pharoah took over voicing the character from Azaria in 2022.
- Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon: Janina Gavankar debuted as Apu’s wife during the October 18, 2026 episode, taking over the role previously voiced by Jan Hooks and Tress MacNeille.
Gavankar celebrated the collaborative return alongside Malhotra in social media posts. After 22 years of friendship, I know Sunil is the perfect person to bring Apu home,
Gavankar wrote on Instagram.
More on Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
“The Simpsons” has cast Sunil Malhotra (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Legend of Korra”) as the new voice of Apu, taking over for Hank Azaria:• Malhotra made his debut in Sunday night’s episode, “The Revengening,” marking the first time Apu has spoken in nearly a decade• Apu and… pic.twitter.com/ENR9ctHjBX
The Simpsons have finally given a voice back to Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu for the first time since 2017, with actor Sunil Malhotra taking over the role. https://t.co/0oWlQyKHOr pic.twitter.com/001uraFTNW
Worth a look