Vir Das asks Bollywood to introspect on its treatment of white women

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 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.