{"id":635391,"date":"2026-10-19T15:34:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T15:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/635391\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T15:34:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T15:34:12","slug":"apu-nahasapeemapetilon-the-simpsons-reprises-iconic-kwik-e-mart-character-nine-years-after-last-appearance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/635391\/","title":{"rendered":"Apu Nahasapeemapetilon: The Simpsons reprises iconic Kwik-E-Mart character nine years after last appearance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is back.<\/p>\n

If that name doesn\u2019t mean anything to you, you were probably banned from watching The Simpsons as a child or do not have friends quoting famous lines at every opportunity.<\/p>\n

The iconic Kwik-E-Mart owner had gone unseen on the long-running animated series for nine years before making a shock return over the weekend.<\/p>\n

Last appearing in 2017\u2019s episode The Serfsons, the fan-favourite was reprised for Sunday\u2019s season 38 Halloween episode The Revengening.<\/p>\n

According to Variety<\/a>, the voice actor behind the latest iteration of Apu \u2014 actor Sunil Malhotra \u2014 had been kept under wraps by producers and the Fox network, along with plans Apu would be revived.<\/p>\n

The character\u2019s wife Majula, now played by Janina Gavankar, was also heard for the first time.<\/p>\n

Executive producer Matt Selman said his team had been pursuing a return for Apu but was conscious of doing so in an appropriate manner.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love this character, and wanted to bring him back in a smart, \u2018Simpsons\u2019-y way that allowed him to evolve,\u201d executive producer Selman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re excited by what Sunil has already brought to the role, and look forward to seeing more of Apu in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"IconicCamera IconIconic Simpsons character Apu has spoken for the first time in nearly a decade in the special Halloween episode. Credit: X<\/p>\n

Selman said the Nahasapeemapetilon family will become regular features on the show once more.<\/p>\n

Before he was benched, Apu\u2019s character had long been the subject of controversy due to a widely held view he perpetuated South Asian store clerk stereotypes.<\/p>\n

He had also been voiced by white American Hank Azaria.<\/p>\n

Following a 2017 documentary dissecting the cultural issues surrounding the beloved figure, titled The Problem with Apu, Azaria announced he would step down from the role.<\/p>\n

Four years later, the versatile actor \u2014 who also plays classic characters Moe Szyslak, Fat Tony and Snake Jailbird\u2014 appeared on Dax Shepard\u2019s podcast Armchair Expert to offer his perspective.<\/p>\n

\u201cI apologise for my part in creating that and participating in that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPart of me feels like I need to go to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologise. And sometimes I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheCamera IconThe Simpsons character Apu\u2019s voice is heard for the first time in almost a decade. Credit: IMDb<\/p>\n

Malhotra, Apu\u2019s newest vocal custodian, admitted he did not jump at the role when it was offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen my agent called me about a \u2018Simpsons\u2019 audition, I knew exactly what role it was for, and the idea actually made my stomach sink,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut admittedly, part of me was also curious. It had been eight years since Apu had spoken on the show, and it got me thinking: Did the writers\u2019 room look different now? Could they bring him back in a way that acknowledged and apologised 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 \u2018Simpsons\u2019 way that didn\u2019t disappoint fans?\u201d<\/p>\n

New episodes of The Simpsons stream can be seen on Disney+ in Australia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is back. If that name doesn\u2019t mean anything to you, you were probably banned from watching…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":635392,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[156,111,139,69,437],"class_list":["post-635391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=635391"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/635391\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/635392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=635391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=635391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=635391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}