Kathir(Ravikrishna), is a lazy, good-for-nothing youth who spends his time smoking and drinking with his similarly-inclined friends. Anita(Sonia Agarwal), whose family has recently fallen into bad times, moves into the same colony. Kathir's appearance and behavior soon alienate him from Anita. But Kathir, who is besotted with her, begins to change and the change has an effect on Anita also.

Kaadhal Konden scored big on both its story and screenplay. While its story proceeded in unexpected fashion after leading us in a familiar direction, its screenplay kept us engrossed with its rawness and pace. But 7/G Rainbow Colony disappoints with an unoriginal story. Its story of a wayward youth turning over a new leaf after falling in love offers nothing new and cliched characters, like the guy Sonia is supposed to wed, don't help either. And while Selvaraghavan makes it clear at many places that he is trying to portray life at its most natural, some artificial scenes(the scenes where Sonia doesn't realise that she has her arm around Ravikrishna while watching TV is the most silly one) stick out like a sore thumb and reduce the effectiveness of the movie as a whole.

The distinction between hero and bad guy is further blurred here with Ravikrishna's characterization. His initial words and acts clearly categorize him as a youth with no class and he easily earns our revulsion with his language and actions. But his characterization after Sonia's arrival is wonderfully done though. It reveals a youth unsure of his own feelings and unclear as to how to reveal them. His explanation of his character just before the intermission is one of the best scenes in the movie and his flip-flops between asking Sonia to be "just his friend" and "his lover" are very funny. This characterization is the main reason why the fact that Sonia could develop feelings for him is palatable inspite of the way his character was presented earlier. Sonia's gradual change of heart towards him is convincingly portrayed too but the behavior of her fiance is cliched and makes her job easier.

Most movies depend on 'big' moments that have an impact on the viewer either emotionally or viscerally. But Selvaraghavan's strength seems to lie in small moments that last just a few seconds but convey volumes because of underlying emotions or past happenings. For instance, Vijayan's response to Ravikrishna's new job and Ravikrishna overhearing the reason for the disappointingly low-key response are almost predictable. But their behavior in the morning when they run across each other fleetingly in the living room is wonderfully awkward. Similarly, Sonia's mother places her hand on Ravikrishna's head in the hospital just momentarily but the act has so much meaning that it brings a lump to the throat.

Movies that start in the present and show the past as a flashback usually have a less effective climax since the opening gives us an indication of how the flashback is going to end. But here, Selvaraghavan uses the same technique to heighten the impact of the climax by setting our expectations initially and then breaking them near the end. He also has a little fun with us during the scenes at the hospital, making us think about what is real and what is not. These keep us engrossed during the climax and ensure that it is quite unforgettable.

Ravikrishna does well in the role but credit probably goes more to Selvaraghavan who has moulded the character such that it fits Ravikrishna's skills. But his dancing definitely needs work and this is most obvious in the Kann Pesum... song which should have been a lot more uninhibited to be effective. Sonia Agarwal is fantastic, revealing just the right amount of emotion, whatever the scene. Her eyes speak a lot and her body language is great too. Vijayan adds something new to the role of the father disappointed in his son. Yuvan Shankar Raja, who seems to reserve his best work for Selvaraghavan, comes up with another great soundtrack. Ninaithu Ninaithu..., Kanaa Kaanum... and Idhu Porkalama... are wonderful melodious numbers and have us humming for a long time. Naam Vayadhukku... and Janavari Maadham... are typical fun songs but manage to be catchy nevertheless.