M. Achuthan was born on 15 June 1930 at Vadama, a small hamlet near Mala, in Thrissur district of the south Indian state of Kerala to Alakkattu Narayana Menon and Mukkuttiparambil Parukutty Amma.
His schooling was at St. Antony’s High School, Mala after which he joined Maharaja's College, Ernakulam to earn a master's degree in Malayalam literature with gold medal from the University of Madras.
Subsequently, he started his career as a lecturer of Malayalam at St. Albert's College.
He also worked at a number of other institutions such as Government College, Meenchantha, Government Victoria College, Palakkad and Sree Neelakanta Government Sanskrit College Pattambi before serving his alma mater, Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, from where he retired from service as a professor.
Post retirement, he continued his academic career as a visiting professor at Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit and sat in the director board of Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society.
He also served as a member of the executive panel of Kerala Sahitya Akademi and the academic councils of the Universities of Kerala and Calicut, managed Mathrubhumi publications and presided Samastha Kerala Sahitya Parishad.

Achuthan was married to Radha, daughter of Jnanpith award winning poet, G. Sankara Kurup and the couple had three daughters, B. Bhadra, Nandini and Nirmala; Bhadra would later become the deputy Mayor of the Corporation of Kochi.
He died on 9 April 2017, aged 86, at a private hospital in Kochi, succumbing to age related illnesses.
His mortal remains were cremated at Ravipuram crematorium.
M. Achuthan was born on 15 June 1930 at Vadama, a small hamlet near Mala, in Thrissur district of the south Indian state of Kerala to Alakkattu Narayana Menon and Mukkuttiparambil Parukutty Amma. His schooling was at St. Antony’s High School, Mala after which he joined Maharaja's College, Ernakulam to earn a master's degree in Malayalam literature with gold medal from the University of Madras. Subsequently, he started his career as a lecturer of Malayalam at St. Albert's College. He also worked at a number of other institutions such as Government College, Meenchantha, Government Victoria College, Palakkad and Sree Neelakanta Government Sanskrit College Pattambi before serving his alma mater, Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, from where he retired from service as a professor. Post retirement, he continued his academic career as a visiting professor at Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit and sat in the director board of Sahitya Pravarthaka Co-operative Society. He also served as a member of the executive panel of Kerala Sahitya Akademi and the academic councils of the Universities of Kerala and Calicut, managed Mathrubhumi publications and presided Samastha Kerala Sahitya Parishad.
Achuthan was married to Radha, daughter of Jnanpith award winning poet, G. Sankara Kurup and the couple had three daughters, B. Bhadra, Nandini and Nirmala; Bhadra would later become the deputy Mayor of the Corporation of Kochi. He died on 9 April 2017, aged 86, at a private hospital in Kochi, succumbing to age related illnesses. His mortal remains were cremated at Ravipuram crematorium.
M. Achuthan