 Thikkodiyan was born P. Kunjanandan Nair, on February 15, 1916 at Thikkodi, a small hamlet in Kozhikode district, of the south Indian state of Kerala, to Puthiyedath Kunjappa Nair and P. Narayani Amma.He lost his parents while he was boy and was brought up by his grandfather, who was a theatre enthusiast.After schooling at Basel Mission Middle School, Koyilandy, he completed a teachers'training course and started his career as a teacher at his alma mater in 1936.