In 2017, comedian Hari Kondabolu released “The Problem With Apu,” a documentary addressing the depiction of marginalized communities, on TruTv. Apu is an iconic Indian Simpsons’ character who owns and manages the Springfield Kwik-E-Mart.

In his documentary Kondabolu addressed various issues in Apu’s character, one being that the voice of Apu being performed by non-Indian actor Hank Azaria, with an attempted Indian accent, could be compared to a white person acting in blackface.

Kondabolu attempted to get multiple people involved in “The Simpsons” (including Azaria) on the documentary to talk about the character, but to little avail. But finally, “The Simpsons” responded to the critique this past weekend in a recent episode.

As one of the first and most prominent portrayals of Indians on television, the depiction of Apu has created and reinforced negative stereotypes against South Asian people, opening up more space to ridicule and degrade South Asians.

Read Related: [Hari Kondabolu Highlights Lack of South Asian Representation with ‘The Problem With Apu’]

The documentary’s success brought about more criticism towards the show, with many who once reminded silent regarding the portrayal of Apu speaking up on social media.

This sparked Azaria to respond. Earlier this year, Azaria promised “The Simpsons” would respond to the controversy of Apu, stating “The idea that anybody, young or old, past or present, was bullied, or teased, or worse based on the character of Apu on ‘The Simpsons,’ or the voice or any other tropes of the character is distressing, especially in post-9/11 America.”

Azaria told reporters at the Television Critics Association in Pasadena,

“The idea that anybody was marginalized based on it or had a hard time was very upsetting to me personally and professionally. It’s a character I’ve done for 29 years now, and I’ve done it with a lot of love, and joy, and pride. That certainly wasn’t the intent. The intent was to make people laugh and bring joy. For it to cause suffering or pain in any way, it’s disturbing, actually.”

On Sunday, a new “Simpsons” episode entitled “No Good Read Goes Unpunished” addressed the controversy of the criticism over the character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon.

In the episode, Marge reads Lisa her “favorite book ever,” which features racial stereotyping. She looks to Lisa for advice on how to update the book, The Princess in the Garden, to make it less controversial and politically acceptable.

Lisa, however, tells her mother that there is no point in rewriting the fictional book.

“Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?”

The camera then focuses on a framed photo of Apu on her nightstand, with the words, “Don’t have a cow. Apu,” signed on them.

“Some things will be dealt with a later date,” Marge replies.

“If at all,” Lisa says, as the pair then both look into the camera lens.

#TheSimpsons completely toothless response to @harikondabolu #TheProblemWithApu about the racist character Apu:

"Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect… What can you do?" pic.twitter.com/Bj7qE2FXWN

— soham (@sohamberlamps) April 9, 2018

This response has caused more anger as viewers are not only offended by the statement depicted in Apu’s photograph but the show’s decision to use Lisa, their most thoughtful and liberal character, to respond.

Many took to Twitter to express their feelings including those who applauded the Simpsons’ response. However, South Asians particularly spoke up against the Simpsons’ with many feeling it was not only stereotyping Indians, but mocking Hinduism with its statement, “Don’t have a cow.”

Everybody has an opinion about Apu, but did they ever talk to someone who owned a convenience store or gas station or work in one or grow up in one? You know, like my dad and I? #simpsons #apu

— Amar Shah ? -preorder PLAY THE GAME! (@amarshahism) April 9, 2018

https://twitter.com/shujaxhaider/status/983433131326885888

Here’s me simplifying for all who don’t get why @TheSimpsons response to criticism of Apu is bullshit:

Sure, Simpson’s makes fun of all races etc., but what’s different here is that Apu was THE ONLY major representation of South Asians/Indians on TV. Unlike others

1/4

— Amul Kalia (@amullionaire) April 10, 2018

Kondabolu also addressed the show’s new episode on Twitter.

In “The Problem with Apu,” I used Apu & The Simpsons as an entry point into a larger conversation about the representation of marginalized groups & why this is important. The Simpsons response tonight is not a jab at me, but at what many of us consider progress.

— Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) April 9, 2018

TO THE JOURNALISTS WHO HAVE ASKED ME FOR A PUBLIC STATEMENT ABOUT LAST NIGHT’S SIMPSONS EPISODE, I JUST WANT SAY: “Congratulations to the Simpsons for being talked about & being seen as relevant again.”

— Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) April 9, 2018

The Simpsons’ show-runner AlJean retweeted a Tweet saying, “Loved how you guys handled this non-issue. People just want to cry about everything nowadays b/c it makes them feel like they’re doing something. Oh, and I’m Indian and according to Twitter, my opinion matters more on this topic,” on Monday.

Stereotypical portrayals of cultures and ethnicities can never be taken lightly or as a joke. The problem with Apu is not restricted to the portrayal of Apu’s character itself, but the reaction individuals have when the problem of his portrayal is addressed.

While some argue that we as South Asians lack depiction in the media and should be happy with what portrayals we have, I disagree. Lack of representation is not a reason to enforce and create stereotypical narratives. Such narratives only hurt the progress and work we do to tear down stereotypical and ill portrayals of our people.

[Read Related: ‘The Problem With Apu’: The Impact of Apu’s Character on Desi-Americans Goes Beyond his Accent]

If we continue to support these damaging portrayals of South Asians, we only enforce the stereotypical roles offered to many rising South Asian actors in the industry.

By Aysha Qamar

Aysha Qamar is a writer, poet and advocate based in the tri-state area. She currently serves as BGM’s News and … Read more ›

Photo Courtesy of Varsha Panikar

“After so Long” is a poetry film created for Simha’s EP, which is streaming on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music. The poem was collaboratively written by Simha, a U.S. native, and Jae, who is based in India, during the 2020 lockdown. “After so Long” was recited by Simha and their parents. In 2022, I directed and produced the film through my studio, Star Hopper. “After so Long” premiered on Nowness Asia in March 2022.

By Varsha Panikar

Varsha Panikar (they/he) is a filmmaker, writer and multi-disciplinary artist from India. They are the co-founder of Star Hopper, a … Read more ›

Award-winning commercial real estate and land consultant in Arizona, Anita Verma-Lallian, is venturing into the world of entertainment with her newfound production house, Camelback Productions, making her the first South Asian female in the state to do so. Verma-Lallian is a woman used to paving her own way, and now she’s committed to doing it for future generations.

[Read Related: Anita Verma-Lallian Launches Arizona’s First South Asian-owned Film Production and Entertainment Company ]

Through her production company, she aims to contribute towards greater South Asian representation in mainstream media with a focus on storytelling that’s relevant to the community. In a conversation with Brown Girl Magazine, the real estate maven spoke about what inspired her to shift from investing in land to investing in creative dreams.

Tell us more about Camelback Productions and what your hopes are for the company?

The intention is to help communities that are not being represented in the media. As you know, there are a lot more streamers looking for content so that presents an interesting opportunity for people to tell stories that are otherwise not being told.

For us it’s important to tell these stories that aren’t being told, and tell them in the way that we want them to be told. With South Asians, for instance, the roles typically given are stereotypical. There are only four or five roles we are playing repeatedly. I want to show the South Asian community and culture in a different way. 

You come from a business and investor background. I am curious to know what catapulted your interest towards establishing a production company?

Good question. There were a few things that inspired my interest. I was looking to diversify the different opportunities we offered our investors. We’ve done a lot of real estate, so we were overall looking for different investment opportunities.  And then, at the time when I started exploring this, the real estate market was in this wait-and-see for many people. 

Everyone was sitting on the sidelines waiting to see what happens next. There was a slowdown at the end of 2022 which is when I started looking into this more. Film seemed like it was kind of recession-proof and not really tied to what’s happening in the economy, which I thought was refreshing and exciting.

Also, overall, I observed what was happening in the industry with there being a push to see more South Asians in the media. The timing felt right, and I think we’re moving in the right direction.

 

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What kind of content are you looking to create?

Good stories and good quality scripts. We are looking at all types of content — movies, docu-series, comedy shows, and reality shows. We’re open to anything that has a good message. 

On a personal level, what hits home for you with this production company?

Growing up I always loved film and TV. We watched a lot of Bollywood movies because that’s what we related to and I always loved that. But I did feel there wasn’t a lot of representation of people that looked like me. Being able to change that — especially after having kids, and a daughter who wants to go into film — is important for. It’s a contribution for future generations. It’s important to me that as they grow up, they see people that look just like them.  

Is there a significance to the name Camelback?

Yes! Camelback Mountain is a very iconic mountain in Phoenix. It’s one of the most famous hikes we have here and a relatively challenging one.

The significance is being able to overcome challenges and barriers. I have a nice view of Camelback Mountain and it’s something I look at every day, when I’m stressed and overwhelmed. It has a very calming and grounding presence.

To me the mountains signify being grounded and not being able to be moved by external factors. That’s what I want this production company to be!

 

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A post shared by Camelback Productions (@camelbackproductions)

What would you advise people interested in entering the entertainment industry?

The best advice I would give someone is to align yourself with people that you know are experts in the industry; that have a good track record. Learn from as many people as you can. I learn as much as I can, talk to as many people as I can, and I study different things to understand what was and wasn’t successful.

Photo Credit: Claudia Johnstone

By Rasha Goel

Rasha Goel is a 2X Emmy-nominated television host/producer and international correspondent. Her talent has led to opportunities such as giving … Read more ›

For any of us who have siblings, the relationship with them can be one of the most fulfilling ones. And also one of the most bloody frustrating. No one can quite stroke the fire like someone who knows you extremely well, or sometimes not, but have a familial bond with that neither one of you chose. In “Polite Society,“directed by Nida Manzoor, sisters Ria Khan and Lena Khan’s loving, sweet, and sometimes tumultuous relationship takes center stage. 

[Read Related: Poorna Jagannathan and Richa Moorjani of Netflix’s ‘Never Have I Ever’ on Womanhood, Racism, and Issues Generations of Desi Women Still Struggle With]

Played delightfully by Priya Kansara and Ritu Arya, respectively, the evolution of their relationship is one of the film’s greatest and simultaneously weakest points. It’s also pretty cool to see two South Asian actresses in an action-comedy movie — how refreshing it is to mention the art of choreography and praise it in regards to fight sequences vs. dance sequences for a film centered on two South Asian women — that itself shows progress. 

Set in London, Ria is an aspiring stunt woman who already shows massive talent in martial arts. She looks up to her older sister Lena, who is enrolled in art school and, also holds remarkable potential in a somewhat less traditionally acceptable field. Their relationship starts off as supportive and sweet with no inclinations of jealousy or resentment that sometimes plagues sisterly bonds. But this also means that they are quite protective of one another, almost to the detriment of their well wishes for each other. 

This all happens when Lena gets engaged after dropping out of art school. Ria feels betrayed. They were supposed to be on this journey together in fighting for their dreams. Ria decides that she knows what’s best for her sister and enlists the help of her friends to rescue the damsel in distress from her own wedding. Her deep animosity towards the prospect of Lena getting married is also fueled by Lena’s fiancé and his mother acting extremely suspiciously. The twist that ultimately brings the two sisters back together is both shocking and weirdly somewhat progressive in the motive behind the villain’s origin story. But the twist, unfortunately, is too ambitious for the movie as it tacks on another genre and theme earnestly, but still clunkily. 

“Polite Society” tackles not only what it means to fight for one’s dreams but also what it means to have just one ardent supporter. As Lady Gaga famously said, “There can be 100 people in a room and 99 of them don’t believe in you but all it takes is one and it just changes your whole life.” Well, Ria’s Bradley Cooper was her very own sister who seemed to abandon her, and her faith in her, when she chose a different path. For Lena, the film opened up the question of marriage and the weight it bears in the life of a South Asian woman. Ria’s lack of understanding of the pressure it places on Lena is the start of the change in their relationship — the start of Ria’s coming of age and the start of Lena settling firmly into her adulthood. 

Standouts from the cast include Ria’s best friends, played by Seraphina Beh and Ella Bruccoleri, who commit to the story and characters with such hilarity and conviction. They add the lightheartedness and playfulness the film needs, and it is refreshing that never once do they use Ria’s cultural background as a way to make fun of her or dismiss her.

[Read Related: Ms. Marvel’s Iman Vellani and Mohan Kapur Talk Cultural Pride, Hollywood and Brown Representation]

It is also heartening to see Lena and Ria’s parents being some of the most supportive South Asian parents seen on screen. At the end of the day, it is not the external family pressure that impacts the decisions made by the sisters but rather their own satisfaction, or lack thereof, with their own lives that become the driving force of their actions. 

“Polite Society” is written and directed by a South Asian woman for South Asian women, and is definitely worth a watch when it releases in theaters this April. 

Photo Credits: Focus Features LLC

By Nimarta Narang

Born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, Nimarta grew up devouring Hindi movies, coming-of-age novels and one too many psychology textbooks. … Read more ›