Actor Jiiva is teaming up with Malayalam filmmaker Muhammad Musthafa for his next. Tentatively titled Jiiva 49, the film was launched on Monday with a pooja ceremony. Also starring Nimisha Sajayan and Angel Maria of Vaazha 2 fame in prominent roles, the film is co-produced by Jiiva and Sudhan Sundaram of Passion Studios. More details regarding the project are awaited.

Musthafa, an actor-turned-filmmaker, made his directorial debut with Kappela, which earned him the Kerala State Award for Best Debut Director. He last made Mura, a gangster drama headlined by Suraj Venjaramoodu and Hridhu Haroon. As an actor, Musthafa has also won a national-level special mention award for his performance in Ain.

Interestingly, Jiiva collaborated with Nithish Sahadev, another Malayalam filmmaker, earlier this year on Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil. The film was a sleeper hit at the box office, signalling a much-needed comeback for the actor after a series of duds.