Jiiva took a break for a year in 2015 and returned with three releases in 2016. He starred in his 25th film "Pokkiri Raja", which opened to mixed to negative reviews. His next film was the long delayed "Thirunaal" in which he united with Nayantara for the second time. He was next seen in an romantic comedy, "Kavalai Vendam" (2016), directed by Deekay, where he was paired opposite Kajal Aggarwal. The movie had mixed reviews. "Jiiva seems like the perfect choice for the role, being effortlessly flippant, funny and intensely emotional", said Rediff.com's review.