Innocent went to Madras (then) for his acting career and worked there as a production executive and during that time he acted in a minor role in the movie Nellu, which was one of his earlier movies. He studied till eighth grade and discontinued his studies as he could not cope with studying. He had his primary education at Little Flower Convent Higher Secondary School, Irinjalakuda, Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Irinjalakuda, and Sree Sangameswara NSS School, Irinjalakuda. He is the fifth child and third son of his parents, who had eight children. Innocent was born on 28 February 1948 to Vareed Thekkethala and Margaret in Irinjalakuda, Travancore-Cochin (present-day Kerala), India. He has written books based on his memories, and columns in magazines and newspapers. Innocent served as the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), a guild of Malayalam artists from 2003 to 2018. Innocent won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituency as an independent candidate supported by the Left Democratic Front (LDF). In 1979, he was elected as the municipal councilor of irinjalakkuda municipality. He served as the Member of Parliament in the 16th Lok Sabha of India representing Chalakudy constituency. Innocent has won several awards, including three Kerala State Film Awards.
He has also appeared in villainous roles, such as in Mazhavilkavadi, Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu and Ganamela. He has acted in more than 750 films and is considered one of the best comedians in Malayalam cinema. He predominantly works in Malayalam cinema in addition to Hindi, English, Tamil, and Kannada films, mostly in comedic roles. Innocent Vareed Thekkethala (born 28 February 1948) is an Indian actor and politician.