Apu Nahasapeemapetilon spoke again on The Simpsons on Oct. 18, ending a stretch of nearly a decade in which he could be seen but not heard. Sunil Malhotra took over the voice in “The Revengening,” bringing the character back with a new voice and a new setup for the Nahasapeemapetilon family.
The return matters because Apu has been absent from dialogue since October 2017’s “The Serfsons,” and this was the first time viewers heard him again in eight years. Janina Gavankar also debuted as Manjula in the episode, giving the family a fuller presence than it has had in years.
For viewers searching for the name now, the change is not just that Apu spoke again. It is that the show has quietly crossed a line it had held for years after Hank Azaria previously voiced the character. In 2021, Azaria said on Armchair Expert, “I apologize for my part in creating that and participating in that,” after the role became a flashpoint over its stereotypical portrayal of a South Asian convenience store clerk.
That history still hangs over the revival. The issue of Apu was the centerpiece of The Problem With Apu, and after the documentary made waves, Azaria said he would no longer voice the character. Apu was then pushed into the background while producers worked out what to do next, which made the Oct. 18 episode feel less like a reset than a carefully managed return.
Matt Selman said the idea came from Nick Dahan and Cesar Mazariegos, who developed Apu’s comeback as one of the year’s Halloween-themed episodes, and he called it “a brilliant way” to reference the situation around the character. Selman also said, “We love this character, and wanted to bring him back in a smart, ‘Simpsons’-y way that allowed him to evolve,” and added, “We’re excited by what Sunil has already brought to the role, and look forward to seeing more of Apu in the future.”
That last part is the key. Selman has said the Nahasapeemapetilon family will once again be seen and heard more often, but the show has not set out a fixed schedule. So the answer to what happens next is clear enough for now: Apu is back in play, but only the show knows how often it plans to let him speak.
