High-end gadgets were used in the film, designed by the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), while teams from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) created the costumes and looks of the characters. It is said that Jiiva's super hero costume, designed by Gabriella Wilkins, weighed more than 10 kg. The movie opened to mixed reviews, and a few cited it as "different and refreshing" The movie received much attention from children. Jiiva received appreciation from critics for his role as Lee. "The titular role fits Jiiva well, very much like the armour he dons. But your heart goes out to him — performing stunts in a costume that looks unbearably heavy, with a face-mask to boot must have been quite a task," commented "The Hindu" review. "Firstpost.com" called Jiiva's role a "rewarding performance". "Jiiva has obviously given his best, and his martial arts sequences are worthy of applause," said Rediff.com.  Jiiva's next venture was Gautham Menon's "Neethaane En Ponvasantham" (2012), starring opposite Samanatha. The film had an average run at the box office. Critics and audiences felt that the actor brought dignity to the screen as Varun Krishnan. After this, he worked on Bejoy Nambiar's "David" (2013) alongside Vikram, which garnered positive reviews. His next movie was "Endrendrum Punnagai", where he was paired with Trisha for the first time. Following this film, Jiiva experienced a setback in his career. In 2014, he worked in cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran's directorial debut "Yaan", which was a box office failure. 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.