His father Leo was a high-school professor of Croatian and French language and his mother Dunja a clerk.
The family had artistic leanings, as Ivanda's grandfather was an actor in the Croatian National Theatre in Split (HNK), while his uncle-in-law was composer Ivo Tijardović.
Ivanda completed the classical gymnasium in his hometown, occasionally playing minor roles in the HNK, but as he preferred directing, he entered the Academy of Dramatic Arts of the University of Zagreb where he graduated.
[1] His directing debut was 1969 modernist piece Gravitacija ili fantastična mladost činovnika Borisa Horvata.
[2] Ivanda married twice: from the first marriage with Stanka, he had son Nikola, who was also a director and Branko's close assistant in multiple TV projects, such as popular series Obični ljudi, Ponos Ratkajevih, Sve će biti dobro and Dolina sunca.