As a fan of Hank Azaria, Apu, and the Simpsons for almost 30 years now I found the arguments made in this "documentary" to be rather weak, at best.

Hari Kondabolu's main contentions are that he doesn't like the character's accent, he doesn't like being teased about the accent, Apu's character is somehow an insult to his parents, and knowing that he cannot personally stop Fox or The Simpsons producers from continuing to use Apu as character he feels a false sense of entitlement and exclusivity in trying to meet with Hank Azaria to convince him to stop doing it (Spoiler alert - Hank kindly refuses). Yet at the same time, he insists that the Simpsons show should continue and he supposedly even enjoyed everything else about it.

Huh? What?

Does he not realize that Apu, despite his "stereotypical presentation", is actually shown to be an extremely intelligent person who has deep feelings and pretty much the same highs and lows of life that most people on the planet experience every day? Apparently not - he's not open-minded enough, nor is he able to take a step back and see the larger social commentary picture that the Simpsons tries to make in every episode. In fact, in many episodes where this happens, Apu is revealed to be the one with superior knowledge and/or cultural strengths. He also is apparently not able to laugh at himself and just enjoy it for what it is - ironic for a person whose career is supposedly in comedy. As a side criticism on that last point: I'm well-versed in comedy legends since the dawn of television, and I didn't even know Hari existed before this film - his overall impact to the world of comedy is minimal at best. Or is that really the problem and this just an attempt to get noticed?

The problem is, if Apu is banned from the show (yes banned - anything done officially in response to these complaints results in a "ban" regardless of whatever form it may come in),then do we ban all the other characters? Do we ban Dr Hibbert, Dr Nick Riviera, Bumblebee Man, and the like? How about Lenny, Carl, Grandpa, and even ultra-politically correct Lisa? I'm a white male near 50 years old - should I be offended because the dumbest character on the show is Homer, a white male? No, I am not, and Homer is one of my favorite comedy characters in the history of television because as flawed as he is, he always does the right thing in the end.

What Hari also misses about Hank's performance of Apu is that it's just that: it's a performance. Does it mean Hank personally hates people from India? I'm guessing not. By the same token, is Stephen King a serial killer at heart if he writes a story about one from the killer's point of view? How about Edward Norton playing a Neo-Nazi in American History X - does that mean he hates all other races? Does Ralph Fiennes try to shoot Jews with a rifle from his window because of his role in Schidler's List? And should the people of Germany be offended by his accent or that he misrepresents their race or culture? The answer to all of these questions is a resounding "NEIN!"

One point I will agree on with Hari is that there are not a lot of well-known Indian comedians or actors, but that appears to be changing. I am 100% in favor of more shows like that for anyone interested in Indian culture, comedy, etc. So Hari...why not put your comedy brain to work and make your own cartoon? Oh wait, your buddies tried that and guess what? No one cared.

Just the other day, I read in the news that Hank Azaria responded to the film and said they would all basically take what Hari says in consideration on the future of Apu. I'm all for that, but I sincerely hope that neither Fox nor the Simpsons' producers cave and give up the character just to appease someone who clearly has no other means to get noticed than to try and ride wave of another's success.

Sorry Hari, we've all been teased about something in life, myself included. The difference is we all can handle it like grown ups and moved on a long, long time ago.

After watching this film, I think Hari Kondabalu is reaching with a lot of these arguments. For example, "'Thank you come again' has haunted Indian children for over a century." I am of Pakistani and Indian descent, and not once was I "haunted" or compared to Apu growing up in the United States during the 90's. I have talked with many of my South Asian friends/family about this film, and most of them also have never experienced such a comparison.

Look I appreciate these actors sharing their stories and creating a dialogue about the lack South Asian representation in Hollywood, but using Apu and the Simpsons as a scapegoat is completely misguided. Like many others have mentioned, the film seems to miss the point that the Simpsons is a light-hearted satire, and the show pokes fun at SO many different stereotypes. That's one of the many reasons why we love the Simpsons! Overall, I really don't think there's a strong argument here, and I wouldn't recommend this film...

I'm not sure how this got past any editors or test screeners. it is an awful over reaching mess with many arguments falling short after thinking on them for a few minutes. using Apu as a scapegoat seems like just a way for this m,an to make his money. would not recommend