[4] He was born as the son of Thottipparambil Ramakrishnan and Kochammini [5] Priyanandanan started in career as an actor in stage shows.

[7] Priyanandanan started his film career under famous directors K. R. Mohanan, P. T. Kunju Muhammed and Manilal.

He began filming numerous newsreels and documentary shorts, which include Fight for Land and Man or Manninum Manushyanum Vendiyulla Samarangal (about Comrade Achudanandan), People's Leader or Jana Nayakan about E. K. Nayanar, Teacher or Gurunathan (about Sanskrit expert K P C Narayanan Bhattathiri), and The History of Strikes in Trissur District or Trissur Jillayile Samara Charithrangal.

His first movie was Neythukaran (2001) and it told the story of a weaver, a supporter of E. M. S. Namboodiripad.

Priyan also directed several television films including four shorts based on M. T. Vasudevan Nair's short stories, and Asokan Cheruvil's Dead People’s Sea (Marichavarude Kadal).