Sunil Malhotra is opening up about becoming Apu's new voice in The Simpsons, and his first reaction to the audition was far from what fans might expect. Viewers heard Apu speak for the first time in nearly a decade in Sunday's episode, "The Revengening," and it was voiced by The Legend of Vox Machina star Sunil Malhotra.Malhotra has previously worked on Fair Game, Grey's Anatomy, and Blaze and the Monster Machines. As reported by Variety, he is now the official voice of the character, replacing Hank Azaria, known for The Simpsons, Free Agents, and The Birdcage.While it's great news for Malhotra's fans, the actor's reaction to the audition was very different from what was expected. In an interview with Variety, he said:"Whether the producers knew it or not, I was prepared to walk away."Malhotra wanted to meet showrunner Matt Selman and co-executive producer Cesar Mazariegos. As the conversation continued, it helped him feel that the writers wanted to bring Apu back in a way that addressed past criticism while still staying true to The Simpsons.Sunil Malhotra speaks out on becoming Apu's new voice in The Simpsons View this post on Instagram Instagram PostSunil Malhotra shared the news of joining The Simpsons with his fans on Instagram, sharing it with Janina Gavankar. The post read:"APU IS BACK. After eight years of silence, Apu returns to Springfield, now voiced by South Asian actor @ThatSunil, with @Janina as Manjula."Previously voiced by Hank Azaria, the character of Apu faced criticism over its portrayal of South Asians. Azaria later apologized for his role during Dax Shepard's podcast Armchair Expert, saying he was sorry for his part in creating and voicing Apu.The show kept Apu's return and Sunil Malhotra taking over his voice a secret, making it a surprise for viewers. Additionally, viewers heard Apu's wife, Manjula, voiced by Janina Gavankar, for the first time on Sunday's episode titled The Revengening.In Sunday's episode of The Simpsons, Apu returns as "Daft Monk" and goes after the Springfield residents who left him for dead. He tells them what happened to him and why he wants revenge. However, Apu later wakes up at the Kwik-E-Mart, leaving him and viewers to wonder if it was all just a dream.Speaking of how he came to know about the role, Sunil Malhotra, in a statement to Variety, said:"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 added that he was also curious about whether the writers' room had changed in the eight years since Apu last spoke on the show. He wondered if the writers could bring Apu back in a way that acknowledged past mistakes and apologized for them. He was also curious about making the character his own while keeping the return true to The Simpsons and its fans.He further added that he was ready to walk away from The Simpsons if his return meant playing Apu in a way that repeated past mistakes. He said that the team continued to meet his expectations throughout the process. Malhotra agreed to consider the role only after meeting Matt Selman and Cesar Mazariegos. He added:"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."Matt Selman, praising Sunil Malhotra and his character Apu, said in a reported statement to Variety that the team loves Apu and wanted to bring him back in a way that felt true to The Simpsons while allowing the character to grow. Praising Sunil Malhotra's work, he said they were looking forward to seeing more of Apu in the future.Also Read: Slow Horses Season 6 Episode 6 (finale) preview: The showdown at the safe house