'The Simpsons' reportedly dropping Apu after debate

The character of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is reportedly being written out of "The Simpsons" after a controversy.

One of the longest running animated shows on American TV, "The Simpsons" came under intense scrutiny after Hari Kondabolu's documentary "The Problem with Apu" highlighted the stereotypical depiction of Indian immigrants in Hollywood.

The sitcom recently addressed the criticism over Apu's characterisation in the episode "No Good Read Goes Unpunished". However, it failed to pacify the viewers and was slammed on social media for its tone-deaf response to the controversy.

One of the producers confirmed to IndieWire that the show is planning to "drop the Apu character altogether".

"I got some disheartening news back. I've verified from multiple sources now: They're going to drop the Apu character altogether," producer Adi Shankar said.

"They aren't going to make a big deal out of it, or anything like that, but they'll drop him altogether just to avoid the controversy," he added.

Shankar said the decision to axe Apu will be a mistake.

"If you are a show about cultural commentary and you are too afraid to comment on the culture, especially when it's a component of the culture you had a hand in creating, then you are a show about cowardice," he said.

Reacting to Shankar's comments, Kondabolu tweeted, "There are so many ways to make Apu work without getting rid of him. If true, this sucks."