Last year, Imran Khan decided to take time off from work to spend time with his wife Avantika. The couple who are expecting their first born in early June, have spent the last few months travelling. “We went on a very, very long holiday. It was almost a month-and-a-half. From Christmas to New Year’s, we were in Phuket (Thailand). Then we went to London, Maastricht (Netherlands), Munich and then back to London. It was damn good fun,” he shared with t2 when we met him at JW Marriott Hotel in Juhu recently.

Since he got back, Imran has kept the workload light — shooting some endorsements and making his debut as a voice in an animation film. Along with Sonakshi Sinha, Imran has voiced for the animation film Rio 2, that hits screens this Friday. The actor spoke about his love for animation, why making this film helped him prepare for fatherhood and why he’d be on diaper duty.

What prompted you to take up the offer to voice Blu?

Mona Shetty, a voice casting agent, had been calling me for various projects over the years. And every time I really wanted to, but I couldn’t because I was busy with something or the other. This time when she called, she started the conversation with ‘I know you are on a break from work, so you have the time to voice Blu’. So I couldn’t say no to her (laughs).

Was the experience of voicing an animation character everything you had thought it would be?

I have grown up on cartoons. I remember being three or four years old and loving Tom and Jerry. It was He-Man when I was about five, then it was The Lion King and after that Toy Story. Animation just kept getting better and better. When you are voicing an animated character, you get a lot more leeway. As an animated character, you can make all sorts of faces and noises (makes faces and strange sounds). You can’t do that in a normal film.

Your favourite animation films?

The Lion King for me is the animation film that’s yet to be surpassed. I still cry when Mufasa dies. The film still holds up. If you watch it today, you won’t feel it’s dated.

Any favourites among Hollywood actors who have voiced characters?

I love what Tim Allen did with Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story. The voice that he did instantly made Buzz such a funny character. Also Mike Myers is brilliant as Shrek. At the beginning of his career, he had done a film called So I Married An Axe Murderer. He played two characters — a wimpy man and his gruff father who is a Scotsman. The voice that he did for the father sounds a lot like Shrek.

Cameron Diaz had once said she enjoyed making the Shrek films because she could wear pyjamas to work!

(Laughs) I wore slacks and a tucked-in shirt every day. There was a time when going to work meant wearing a suit and tie. My grandfather used to wear a blazer, trousers and leather shoes.

Shah Rukh Khan made Ra.One because his kids wanted him to make a superhero film. And this is your first kids’ film that your soon-to-be-born child would be able to see....

More than making a film that my kid would be able to see, I saw Rio 2 as a storytelling practice. When I was really young… I must have been four or five, my grandfather would tell me stories every night. He was a writer, so stories were his core strength. Every night he would weave a story with me as the protagonist. There were cowboy Westerns, science fiction or medieval epics. He would do different voices and characters and accents. That has always stayed with me. I knew that when I have kids, I’d want to tell them stories.

How is the pregnancy treating Avantika?

Not good at all. She’s become that large and her feet are swollen and her back hurts. She can’t sit and she can’t stand. She is not a happy person. I am glad that I am not working so much. I’ve only been doing some endorsement work and now promotions for Rio 2.

Are you one of those new parents who spend a lot of time reading up?

Oh ya! I am constantly on the Internet and poring over books. I have gone through everything, from pregnancy blogs to parenting and baby blogs. The idea is to get as much information and then use what works for you and your child.

Do you see yourself being a hands-on dad? Will you be on nappy duty?

Ya, ya! I don’t see Avantika doing any of that. We have lots of cats and dogs. You know how cats are, they throw up all the time. And I am the one cleaning it up every time. So, what do you think will happen when it comes to diapers? (Laughs) It ain’t going to be her!

Have you thought of names?

Avantika has put together a list. I haven’t been very good at this, so it’s her department. My feeling is that you have to spend some time with the baby before deciding on the name. You need to have some kind of an idea of their personality.

How long is your break?

I have blocked myself until the end of July. The baby is due at the beginning of June, so I’ll be able to spend two months at home. When I get back to work, I’ll be working on a film with Nikhil Advani. We don’t have a title as yet.