Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's dinner for visiting Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and his wife Sehba Saturday night was a gala affair with actor Rani Mukherjee easily being the show stealer, who was praised all around for her superlative performance in the film "Black".

Members of both the delegations made it a point to approach Rani to compliment her as she looked resplendent in a red sari with a brocaded border. She was accompanied by her father.

Rani was the only actor present at the dinner besides Raj Babbar, who is also a Samajwadi Party MP.

Others luminaries at the four-course dinner at the Ashok Hotel included former prime minister I.K. Gujral, former deputy prime minister L.K. Advani, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, members of Manmohan Singh's cabinet, filmmaker Muzaffar Ali, sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, former diplomats who have served in Pakistan, Bob Woolmer, coach of the Pakistan cricket team, former Indian cricket captains Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and Bishen Singh Bedi, Navjot Sidhu, MP, leading editors and opinion makers among about 150 guests.

On the banquet menu was, among many finger-licking delicacies, chilled melon soup, jhinga gulbadan (prawns), murgh daranpur, raan alishan (lamb), chapa pulusu (fish), Hyderabadi gosht biriyani, paneer Hazrat Mahal, gongura idli, kathal pasanda (jackfruit), dal saat Nizam, Qabooli Ki Biriyani, mango kulfi and orange soufflé.