[Hari] Kondabolu is a patient and deliberate interviewer, pushing and pulling back in equal measure, bringing out moments of real vulnerability in some subjects and allowing others to wrap themselves in the contradictions of their own arguments.
Kondabolu argues that with so few media depictions of characters of Indian descent, just one can disproportionately shape how an entire culture is seen by American viewers.
Kondabolu and friends wonder what can be done about Apu now and there's nobody around to make it into a real conversation. Still, there's great virtue in getting that conversation started and, in under an hour, The Problem with Apu does that well.
The Problem with Apu often unfolds like a movie-length Daily Show segment -- and that's a compliment -- deftly outlining the stereotypes South Asian people still struggle with in media depictions.
Ideally, the stakes of Kondabolu's documentary are higher than just the future of The Simpsons or Hank Azaria's esteem...unfortunately, Kondabolu stops short of imagining a better version of The Simpsons or a world beyond Apu.
