Years ago, Suresh Krishna directed Kamal Haasan in a psycho-traumatic double role in "Abhay". The interesting but unsettled thriller about twins on the rampage didn't work. Krishna now returns to Hindi cinema with what looks like "Abhay" going the Sylvester Stallone way.

Remember the boxer "Rocky" and how his passion for boxing was restrained after a traumatic incident?

The writers of this routine action flick wrench our new-age Rocky out of the boxing ring and put him in the far more sinister concrete jungle.

Rocky can't bear to see goons eve-teasing women or invading a suspiciously studio-staged cyber café to disrupt what looks like a bunch of guys peering at porn sites.

The cyber café's villainous visitors are goons sent by the main bad guy in the film called Anthony, played by Rajit Bedi, who tries hard to look like a mean cocaine sniffer.

These graduates from goon school look like left-overs from Ram Gopal Varma's "Shiva". They run helter-skelter on roads and recreational spots in the city, trying to scare the daylights out of law-abiding citizens. This includes Rocky's god-fearing father (Sarath Babu) and a surprisingly happy and over-the-top mom played by Smita Jaykar.

Papa tells sonny-boy (aka Rocky) "No fighting!", after the boy's girlfriend (Isha Sharvani) is done to death by Anthony.

But have no fear, there's girlfriend no. 2, Minissha Lamba, in London who chases Rocky apart from chasing petty black criminals with equal out-of-breath sincerity.

Rocky's daddy now hopes to convince his son to settle in London. The reply he gets from Rocky - "Make up your mind, Dad!"

Not that anyone seems to have much brains in this mindless homage to metrocentric mayhem.

Rocky looks thoroughly confused all the time - Zayed Khan who plays the title role gives deadpan acting a new definition and vigour.

You really can't get any more deadpan than Zayed. And you really can't make a more straightforward clichéd action film than this one.

The actors fake the fear and the retribution. Not that you care much about either. But at least when the going gets tough, you expect the tough to get going.

There's just no escape from this one. Rocky just assails your senses with a bit of sub-standard cinema.

Unless you are a diehard Zayed Khan fan, who likes to see him grin and grimace with equal placidity, don't bother about it much.