Apu the character from The Simpsons axed after claims of racial stereotyping

Hit TV show The Simpsons is reported to be dropping its character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon following accusations that the long-running Indian character is a racial stereotype. Apu has been the part of the show since 1990 and eliminating him from the series will be a radical move for the sitcom makers.

Those who are the fan of sit com series fan know, Apu is the convenience store owner, voiced by Hank Azaria. The character has recently caused controversy after it was suggested that he represents an inaccurate portrayal of Indian-Americans.

The problem started when the Kwik-E-Mart owner was accused of being a racial stereotype after Hari Kondabolu’s documentary ‘The Problem with Apu’ which aired last year. The documentary focused on his “stereotypical portrayal”.

According to the US comedian Hari Kondabolu, the documentary’s presenter, the character is spoiled by “a little bit of the poison of racism. Apu reflected how America viewed us: servile, devious, goofy”. In response to the character being dropped, Kondabolu tweeted: “There are so many ways to make Apu work without getting rid of him. If true, this sucks.”