Vir Das points at the treatment of white women in Bollywood

Mumbai: As "The Simpsons" has raked up a controversy over stereotyping Indians in America's popular culture, Indian comedian Vir Das has urged people to introspect over how Bollywood stereotypes white women.

"While America takes a look at Apu and the consciousness of how Indians are portrayed in American media, maybe we take a look at how we treat white characters, specifically female in almost every single Bollywood movie. Ever?" Vir, who has widely toured the US, tweeted on Wednesday.

"The Simpsons" featured a South Asian character called Apu, who has had to grapple with the troubling stereotype of a convenience store clerk with an exaggerated, fake Indian accent since the show's existence.

The documentary "The Problem With Apu" touched upon how "The Simpsons" damaged the South Asian caricature.