Music icon Mark Knopfler's eloquent guitar-playing and timeless tunes transported thousands of fans to a musical fantasyland when he performed in the country's financial capital.

On his first tour of India, Knopfler and his band rocked a crowd of nearly 20,000 in south Mumbai's MMRDA Ground in Bandra Saturday night, playing songs that ranged from the anthems recorded during his stint with Dire Straits to mellower tunes from his solo albums.

"Hello Mumbai! I hope everyone is OK! Thank you for welcoming me to your beautiful country!" said the gruff-voiced Knopfler, dressed casually in a white shirt and blue jeans, to a wildly cheering crowd that was an equal mix of young and the old.

Kicking off with the punchy "Why Aye Man", Knopfler and his band played a tight set that lasted almost two hours, returning for two encores when the fans refused to disperse and kept chanting "We want more!"

In between the more reflective songs from his solo albums - including "Song For Sonny Liston" (about the rise and fall of the famous boxer) and "Donegan's Gone" (a tribute to skiffle artist Lonnie Donegan) - Knopfler threw in classic rockers like "Walk Of Life" and "Sultans Of Swing" that had the crowd dancing and singing along.

And there were plenty of the trademark licks, as Knopfler used many of the 36 guitars he had brought along for the tour, ranging from Fender Stratocasters to a classic Gretsch and a National Steel guitar, which was used on the much-loved track "Romeo and Juliet".

"Oh man, I just can't believe it... I am actually at a concert by Mark Knopfler! And in India! I have been waiting for this for so long," said Rajat Kher, dancing in abandon in front of the stage.

There was more than a fair share of grey heads in the audience, with those who had grown up on the music of the Dire Straits in the 1970s and 1980s bringing along their children to the show.

The fans began gathering at the MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority) Ground, a vast open space ringed by gigantic office blocks in the business district of Bandra, almost three hours before the concert began at 7.30 p.m.

Once the show got underway, Knopfler's vocals and distinct finger picking style of playing provided the anchor around which the other players built up an intricate swirl of melodies.

Playing only the fourth concert of Knopfler's current world tour to promote his latest album "Shangri-La", the band was incredibly tight, especially the rhythm section of bassist Glenn Worf and drummer Chad Cromwell.

Knopfler was ably assisted on tracks like "Boom Like That" and "Telegraph Road" by keyboardist Guy Fletcher, the only member of the current band who played with the Dire Straits, and guitarist Richard Bennett.

The huge hits "Money For Nothing" and "So Far Away" were saved for the first encore.

As the fans kept shouting for the band to return, Knopfler took the stage for a second encore, aptly closing the show with "Going Home", the well-known instrumental track from the guitarist's score for the movie "Local Hero".

"This is certainly a night to remember man. I will never forget it," said Manisha Awasthi, 28, an advertisement professional, as she filed out of the venue.

Knopfler will play in Bangalore Monday before leaving for Australia.