An almost all-male concert at Gallagher Estate, north of here, Sunday had fans rocking as new stars on the block, Shaan Mukherjee, Kunal Ganjawala, Indian Idol runner-up Amit Sani, and veteran music director Anu Malik belted out nearly four hours of non-stop lively music and song.

Fans really got their money's worth with a show that was probably the best since Sonu Nigam played here last year, and most certainly the best of the many shows out of India this year.

The highlight of the evening was Kunal Ganjawala's rendition of his famous song "Bheege Honth Tere" from the film "Murder", while Shaan showed that he had a stage personality and audience rapport that could easily match that of Sonu Nigam as the best that we have seen amongst the new generation of playback singers from India who have performed on stage here.

Starting out with an apology for disappointing his fans by not performing at a scheduled show in Johannesburg last year after one in Durban the previous night, Shaan said the circumstances were beyond his control and everyone should just forget about it.

Then he went on to perform incredibly well with his infectious smile, interaction with the audience, and a script casually yet effectively woven into his items without being predictable; winning over the hearts of the audience.

The show started though with the surprise package of the evening - Indian Idol runner-up Amit Sani, who earlier in the day, was seen as a shy, introverted boy-from-the-street type by many, including the scores of people who flocked to the Global Bollywood Music store here for an autograph from the singers.

While the others were mobbed, Amit was fobbed off by almost everyone who did not recognise him (this scribe included). But on stage it was almost like a split personality as Amit showed he was anything but an introvert, and the girls were mobbing him by the end of the show.

Anu Malik, the effervescent overgrown teenager who still likes to bop on stage, showed why he is still successful nearly three decades after starting out, as he performed with untiring energy non-stop for 40 minutes with a medley of his songs old and new, and all at a hectic pace without even pausing for a sip of water! Thankfully, Anu seems to have given up on his attempts at English songs.

Kunal tried hard to dance to his songs, but sadly his size and stature do not allow for this to be done with any semblance of grace, so perhaps he should stick to the singing and audience participation that he excelled at with that powerful and distinctive voice that belies his physique when hearing it on CD or the radio.

Shaan though showed steps, looks and talent on stage that could easily see him become a movie star himself, rather than only singing playback for the others.

Comedian Madhav Moghe showed that experience brings with it an understanding of audience needs. He provided excellent original material that South African audiences have not heard before, including topical things like the current Indian tour by the South African cricketers and issues facing Indian immigrants abroad in his repertoire. Even his filmi character impersonations and sound effect impressions were different from the usual repetitive routines Indian comedians bring with them on tour.

Some nice local touches were the inclusion of very professional dancers from the Nateshwar Dance Academy of Durban, who were believed by many in the audience to have come with the group from India; and Lenasia music group Avikaar melodies, who did well in a 15 minute item that was allowed as an opener to the show, keeping to time and not outstaying their welcome, as sometimes happens with local acts at foreign shows.

The only other female in the show was singer Priya Mukherjee (no relation to Shaan) who was given too little to do and whose main claim to fame in the show was the "Kajra Re" song from "Bunty Aur Babli" that she did with Amit.

It was a great show overall, even if the acoustics in the hall did play a bit of havoc with the sound, and the next step for South Africans after this is - can we have a show with Sonu Nigam and Shaan on the same platform?