Apu Simpsons return is finally official. The Kwik-E-Mart owner spoke on the long-running Fox animated series for the first time in eight years in Sunday’s episode, “The Revengening,” voiced by Indian-American actor Sunil Malhotra. The episode, which aired October 18, 2026, directly addressed the controversy that had sidelined the character for nearly a decade.
Malhotra takes over the role from Hank Azaria, who retired from voicing Apu after Hari Kondabolu’s 2017 documentary, The Problem With Apu, dissected the character as a South Asian stereotype. Apu had not had a speaking role since 2017, though he occasionally appeared as a nonspeaking background character in Springfield.
The new episode leaned into the awkwardness of the absence. In it, the people of Springfield repeatedly kill a man in a “Daft Monk” costume, only for the character to be revealed as Apu, who chastises the citizens for having forgotten him. Marge and Bart apologize for leaving him for dead, explaining they were scared and did not know what to do. Apu eventually wakes to discover the ordeal was a nightmare and is invited to the Simpsons’ Halloween party.
Alongside Malhotra, actress Janina Gavankar debuted as the voice of Apu’s wife, Manjula, who also appears in the episode. With the Kwik-E-Mart reopened, executive producer Matt Selman has said both characters and the Nahasapeemapetilon family will be seen and heard more often going forward.
Apu Simpsons return was a deeply personal decision for Sunil Malhotra
Malhotra, known for his on-screen work in Grey’s Anatomy and his voice work in The Loud House and The Legend of Korra, told Variety that taking the role was far from an easy yes. “When my agent called me about a Simpsons audition, I knew exactly what role it was for, and the idea actually made my stomach sink,” he said.
The actor said he was curious whether the show could bring Apu back in a way that acknowledged and apologized for past mistakes. “Could I make the character my own, and reclaim him in some way? And could they achieve all of that in an unmistakably Simpsons way that didn’t disappoint fans?” he asked. He added that he was prepared to walk away, noting he had turned down his first professional job offer 28 years ago because he did not want to feed into a “Hindu guy” stereotype.
Before accepting, Malhotra insisted on meeting showrunner Matt Selman and co-executive producer Cesar Mazariegos. “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 said.
Malhotra’s caution reflects the weight of the character’s history. In 2023, Indian actor Priyanka Chopra said Apu was “the bane of my life” growing up, recalling how people constantly asked why she did not speak like him. The Apu Simpsons return had to reckon with that legacy directly, or risk repeating it.
Apu Simpsons return earns cautious praise from the show’s bosses
Selman framed the comeback as both a creative and moral correction. “We love this character, and wanted to bring him back in a smart, Simpsons-y way that allowed him to evolve,” he told Variety. “We’re excited by what Sunil has already brought to the role, and look forward to seeing more of Apu in the future.”
The production kept the return under wraps, with NDAs required for everyone involved to preserve the surprise. The secrecy paid off: when Apu’s voice finally rang out in “The Revengening,” fans reacted with a mix of shock and delight across social media, with clips of the moment circulating widely within hours.
Season 38 of The Simpsons premiered on September 27, and the show continues to air Sundays at 8/7c on Fox, with episodes streaming on Hulu. The next episode, airing October 25, will mark the 37th installment of the annual “Treehouse of Horror” series. A second Simpsons movie is currently set for release in September 2027.
For a show in its 38th season, the Apu Simpsons return represents one of the biggest character developments in years. Whether Malhotra’s Apu becomes a fixture again will depend on how the writers use him, but the door, deliberately closed for nearly a decade, is now firmly open.