[7] Raju was born as the youngest among four in 1955 to Shekharan Nair and Saraswati Amma at Thycaud, Thiruvanathapuram.
[8] He had his primary education from Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School, Thiruvanathapuram.
[2] He learned diploma in acting course during 1973–1975 from Adyar Film Institute, Madras (now Chennai).
[9] Maniyanpilla Raju married Indira in 1985, and the couple have two sons, Sachin and Niranj.
The younger son, Niranj, made his debut in Renjith's Black Butterfly.