At 31, Imran tere pyaar mein

The youngest Khan on the Bollywood block is 31 today. The actor may not have had a great 2013 inspite of three releases, but this year he is all set to play the most important role in real life as wife Avantika is expected to give birth to their first child in June.

On his birthday, here's a look at Imran's cinematic journey so far.

Imran Khan was born on January 13, 1983 in Madison, USA. His mother Nuzhat is actor Aamir Khan's first cousin and director Mansoor Khan's sister. His father, Anil Pal was his uncle Mansoor's classmate at IIT Mumbai and later moved to Silicon Valley as a software engineer. Anil and Nuzhat divorced when Imran was a year and a half.

Imran took his mother's surname after the divorce. His mother moved back to Mumbai and Imran studied at Bombay Scottish for a few years before changing to a boarding school in Ooty. Later, he moved to California to live with his father and finished high school there. A filmmaking course in Los Angeles followed.

Imran's first screen appearances was as a child, playing young versions of uncle Aamir. Aged all of five, he played young Aamir in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988). In 1992, he played young Aamir again in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander.

Imran initially wanted to be a director, like uncle Mansoor. But fate intervened and he ended up in front of the camera rather than behind it, like uncle Aamir.

Imran made his acting debut in 2008 with Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, produced by Aamir Khan and Mansoor Khan and co-starring Genelia D'Souza. The film received rave reviews from critics and went on to become one of the biggest hits of the year. Imran won Best Male Debut at the 54th Filmfare awards, sharing the honour with Farhan Akhtar.

In a departure from his winsome Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na image, Imran sported a harder look and a toned torso in Kidnap (2008). The movie flopped but his performance didn't, earning him an IIFA award nomination in 2009.

Luck (2009) with Shruti Haasan and Sanjay Dutt also sank at the box office.

Just when it seemed his early success had been a flash in the pan, I Hate Luv Storys (2010) opposite Sonam Kapoor mildly boosted Imran's sagging career.

In Break Ke Baad (2010), directed by debutant Danish Aslam and produced by Kunal Kohli, Imran romanced Deepika Padukone. The movie was a youthful one, but failed to charm the box-office registers.

On January 10, 2011, Bollywood's chocolate boy broke many hearts when he walked down the aisle with childhood sweetheart Avantika. The couple, who had an eight year courtship, had a registered wedding at his uncle Aamir's Pali Hill house. The couple is reportedly expecting their first child in June this year.

His next release was Delhi Belly (2011), produced by Aamir Khan. The Hinglish comedy directed by debutant Abhinay Deo was well received by critics and audiences alike.

Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011) with Katrina Kaif and Ali Zafar did well at the box-office, but got mixed reviews from critics.

Then came Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (2012) with Kareena Kapoor. The film was directed by Shakun Batra and had a decent run at the box-office.

In 2013, Imran had three big releases but unfortunately none of the films did well at the box office.

His film Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, released on January 11, 2013. Imran, who initially wanted to back out of the film as the character was tough, was seen in a brand new Haryanvi look.

Imran featured alongside Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha in the film Once Upon Ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara, the sequel to the 2010 hit film Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai. Though the film was a flop, Imran's acting received mixed reaction from the critics.

Imran paired up with his Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu co-star Kareena Kapoor for Punit Malhotra's Gori Teri Pyaar Mein. The film failed to impress the critics and audience alike and turned out to be a box office dud.

Imran's future projects include Bhavesh Joshi directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and Milan Talkies directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia.

Apart from films, Imran Khan has been involved in several social issues. In 2011, Imran Khan issued a PIL challenging Maharashtra government's ban on drinking liquor till the age of 25.

In February 2013, the actor reportedly bought a land on the outskirts of Mumbai to open a shelter for stray dogs. The actor was also awarded the Hero to Animals Award by animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India for stopping a trainer from hitting a dog on the sets of Gori Tere Pyaar Mein.

In December 2013, Imran Khan led a campaign against Article 377 through a satirical video, which went viral online.