Sunil Malhotra became the new voice of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon on The Simpsons during the October 18, 2026 episode “The Revengening,” marking the character’s first speaking role in nearly nine years. Malhotra replaces Hank Azaria , who previously voiced Apu. Apu had not been heard on The Simpsons since the October 2017 episode “The Serfsons.” The series kept Malhotra’s casting quiet, turning his debut into a genuine surprise for viewers instead of a heavily promoted nostalgia play. Why Bring Apu Back Now? Malhotra told Variety that the audition immediately raised complicated questions about representation, the show’s creative direction, and whether Apu could return without repeating the character’s most criticized jokes. Malhotra said he wanted a direct conversation with showrunner Matt Selman and co executive producer Cesar Mazariegos before accepting the role, making collaboration a condition of his involvement. Janina Gavankar also became the new voice of Apu’s wife, Manjula, and Selman confirmed that both characters will appear regularly going forward. The casting follows the 2017 documentary The Problem With Apu, which examined the character’s impact on South Asian audiences, and Azaria’s 2020 announcement that he would stop performing the voice.