Hailing from Chuvannamannu, Thrissur, Chandran's journey has been marked by the trials of poverty since childhood. Despite the hardships, he forged ahead, he completed his high school education in 1972. Seeking better prospects, he ventured to Karnataka upon receiving a job offer from a neighbour, only to discover that the wages were insufficient to sustain even the most basic necessities of life. Undeterred, he found work in a nearby shop, but the financial strain persisted.