Born into a family in Vilakkupara, near Anchal about 40 km from Kollam, Kerala, India. He was the youngest of ten children. His father was a private bus ticket checker. Pookutty had to walk 6 km to the nearest school and study in the light of a kerosene lamp as his village had no electricity.
He did his bachelor's degree in physics from Milad-E-Sherief Memorial College, Kayamkulam during 1987–1990. He was admitted to Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram for studying Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree, however, he was unable to complete it. In 1995, he graduate from the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune. In 2014