COMEDIAN BLASTS SIMPSONS CHARACTER

WHILE many of us consider The Simpsons to be one of the best cartoons ever created, stand-up comedian and child of Indian migrants Hari Kondabolu shares different sentiments.

The Brooklyn-based comedian said he has been “taunted” by the show’s portrayal of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon for the past 30 years.

“Everything with Apu is like this running joke,” he told the NY Times. “And the running joke is that he’s Indian.”

Having watched the show since a child, Mr Kondabolu is exploring whether the Kwik-EMart owner did more harm than good as a representation of Indian-Americans.

Working with the director Michael Melamedoff, the pair have created a documentary called The Problem with Apu.

The film explores the broader history of Hollywood’s depiction of Indians, including Peter Sellers’ brownface character from the 1968 Blake Edwards film The Party and the Indians from Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, who feast on chilled monkey brains.