7G Rainbow Colony

Selvaraghavan's 2004 Tamil film is set in a housing colony in Chennai and follows Kathir, who fails at everything and vents his anger by shouting, and Anitha, who has just moved in. She keeps refusing him; he persists, and the film presents that persistence as a love story. Its strength is refusing to idealise its protagonist: Kathir is lazy, crude and a burden on his family. Selvaraghavan builds the figure against the heroic template of Tamil cinema at the time. Against that, romanticising his persistence is a serious problem seen from now, and the film is unaware of it. Yuvan Shankar Raja's music was among the most listened-to of its period. The ending is harsh and unexpected. Who it's for: viewers interested in Tamil cinema of the 2000s and Selvaraghavan's work. Who it's not for: anyone troubled by persistent pursuit being romanticised, or wanting a hopeful close.