Rahman at a rehearsal with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. (AFP)

Composer A.R. Rahman, best known in Britain for the music of Bombay Dreams, unveiled his new post-Haj look at a concert in Birmingham.

Rahman, who is 37 and appears boyish at the best of times with his trademark fashionably long, floppy curls, looked even younger on Friday night when he appeared on stage with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for an evening entitled Hooray for Bollywood.

In fact, his new hairstyle was as much a talking point as his music — the Western orchestra played some of his best-known Hindi film music and some new compositions.

A press release from the orchestra explained his faith: “A.R. Rahman was born A.S. Dileep Kumar on January 6, 1967, in Madras. He adopted the name Allah Rakha Rahman when he converted to Islam.”

Word began circulating that Rahman had acquired a new look when he visited the Indian High Commission in London because he needed help in acquiring a visa for Prague. With a surname like “Rahman” and a Saudi stamp in his passport, the Czech consular authorities were doubtful if he was the right sort of chap to let into their country.

“Everything has been sorted out,” Rahman, who was dressed in a black sherwani, told a packed audience of 2,200 in the huge symphony hall in Birmingham, but without explaining why he had faced visa problems.

Reference to the absence of his lustrous curls was made by a local TV and radio presenter, Samina Ali-Khan, who did an “in-conversation” with “AR”, as she kept calling Rahman. Turning to the audience, she remarked: “There is something different about him, but you don’t recognise what it is.”

Rahman said: “I went to the place where there were pilgrims of all races and classes from all over the world. All of them had their heads shaved. I went on the Haj.” When a few questions were taken from the audience, one asked: “Are you a spiritual person? Is faith important to you?” Rahman replied: “Yes, very much. I would not have survived otherwise. That’s the thing that’s kept me going, failure and success together.”

One man commented: “If music is divine, A.R. Rahman is God.” Another was not happy he had shorn his hair. But Rahman reassured him: “Don’t worry I will grow it back.”