Meet the Bangladeshi woman whose food videos are getting rishtas for her son

Some people post food videos on social media and get views. Arifa Begum posts food videos and gets rishtas for her son.

Not because people are merely hungry. But because, somewhere between the haleem, spring rolls, honey chicken and “shaamanno ayojon (minimum arrangement),” strangers on the internet have found something that feels rather rare on social media - warmth, affection and the comfort of Maa ke haath ka khaana.

So much so that several women have jokingly asked to marry her son Swapnil just to become a part of the family, and, of course, eat the food.

And yes, this is a real story from Bangladesh.

Arifa Begum, 49, is based in Dhaka, and cooking is nothing short of a cathartic experience for her. She has an Instagram account with over 35,000 followers, and most of her videos centre around the “shaamanno ayojon” that she puts together whenever guests visit, her family enjoys a daawat, or her son Swapnil invites his friends over.

Now, this “shaamanno ayojon” is anything but “shaamanno” for you and me. For Arifa Begum, “shaamanno ayojon” includes at least seven to eight dishes. For an iftar party at her residence, she made parathas, Afghani chicken, chicken puff, aloo chop, chhola, beguni, spring rolls, haleem, two types of pudding, and also cut up fruits - all meticulously decorated on the table. A spread that you can almost smell but just not eat because of the phone screen between you and her.

In another video where she organised a “simple” iftar party for Swapnil’s friends, Arifa Begum whipped up a spread that looked effortless: beef tacos, crispy kheer seviayyan, haleem, beguni, dim chop, chicken spring rolls, chhola and two types of juices.

“Olpo kichu ayojon (very little arrangement),” for a candlelight dinner with her husband on their 31st anniversary at home, she made fried rice, prawns, a chicken dish, tilapia fry, fish fry and honey chicken.

So by now, it’s clear that Arifa Begum’s definition of “simple” clearly isn’t as simple as she thinks it is.

Such daawat reels by Arifa Begum have gone viral not only because of the lavish spread, but also because they have led to an outpouring of rishtas for Swapnil, 27, in the comments section. Several women have asked for his hand in marriage because they want to be a part of this Bangladeshi household and relish dishes made by “Swapnil’s ammu”. Mind you, they don’t even know Swapnil. But such is the love for food that the dil, otherwise a mushkil thing to convince, seems ready to risk it all for Maa ke haath ka khaana.

So, how did this journey begin? And how many rishtas have come in so far? Arifa Begum told indiatoday.tech over a WhatsApp conversation from Dhaka that her online presence is stronger on Facebook, where she has over 2,80,000 followers.

“To begin with, I started getting attention for my cooking and hospitality towards my family, relatives, Swapnil’s friends and friends of friends from the very beginning. People actually like how friendly I am towards everyone. And they love the fact that I am the same both on and off camera, without any difference,” Arifa Begum told indiatoday.tech.

And honestly, that warmth comes across instantly. Her behaviour with Swapnil’s friends and the affection she showers on them is enough to make anyone want to be a part of that circle too.

So, how did the rishtas start coming in?

One of her videos showing the arrangement she had put together for Swapnil’s friends went viral in September 2025, and since then, “things started spreading massively, and it is still going on.”

People knew Arifa Begum before that from Facebook, but now everyone knows her family too. “And they adore and love us,” she said, adding, “Everyone calls me ‘Swapnil’s ammu’ or ‘national aunty.’”

But people didn’t know who Swapnil was because he rarely appeared on camera and was mostly busy helping his mother create videos behind the scenes.

“Everyone was curious about who this ‘Swapnil’ was. After the video went viral, people went through my profile to see all the pictures and videos just to find out who this ‘Swapnil’ is, and they found him cute and charming, which he actually is, by God’s blessing. So, a lot of girls jokingly started commenting that they wanted to marry Swapnil. But the primary reason is to get a mother-in-law like me and to eat the delicious food made by me,” she said.

Several women, Arifa Begum said, have approached her via text messages with biodata: “Sometimes, their friends or relatives come with the potential bride’s biodata. Some women have also approached Swapnil directly through texts on Facebook and Instagram. Usually, Swapnil gets all these texts on his social media accounts. He said he has actually lost count.”

Swapnil’s reaction to the fame is “normal,” as he put it rather nonchalantly: “I’m a chill guy and always friendly.”

“To be honest, both mom and I are always actively working on our content, so it’s hard to keep track of all the comments. But we do see some of the comments, which are hilarious, and honestly, we appreciate all the memes and everything. Personally, I am a sarcastic guy, so when people jokingly say these things or make memes, I enjoy it myself. I love the sarcasm,” he said.

His DMs are always flooded with two kinds of messages: “People ask me about my skincare routine. Or they want to be my friend or marry me.”

Speaking about his mother’s constant use of the phrase “shamanno ayojon” in her elaborate daawat videos, Swapnil said, “I have always seen mom cooking various items for every get-together. The table is always full at any event, and still you would hear from her that it was just a ‘shamanno ayojon,’ which means she would complain and say she cooked too little.”

This idea of ensuring guests are fed - and at times overfed - is tied deeply to family traditions.

“We have been practising this kind of hospitality with food for our loved ones for a long time. It’s like a tradition for us. We do not need any occasion to arrange a gathering. We just look for excuses to be together at our dining table with food. It’s not always about the food; it’s about the bond that we share at our dining table with family. And as Bangladeshis, we are known for our hospitality and friendliness,” she said.

But beyond the food and the fanfare, is the fascination really about the food? Or is it also about the warmth and bond people see between Swapnil and his mother?

“It’s not always about the food. Yes, mom really makes the most delicious food, and it’s really appetising. People love it. But what matters more is the bond mom and I share. She’s like my best friend. I am always open with mom. I talk to her without any fear or barriers. She’s actually very friendly towards everyone. It’s in her nature. People find their safe space in her, just like I do. Apart from food, people love the bond we share with our family, relatives and friends,” he said.

So, will Swapnil ever consider any of the women from the comments section? His answer came instantly.

“If they really mean it seriously, then my answer is a blank space. In short, I’m always open to making new friends, like I always say, but when it comes to marriage - not yet,” he said.

A tricky question followed. Would Swapnil prefer to marry someone who enjoys cooking like his mother does, or would it not matter to him if she doesn’t cook at all?

“My mom has made it clear that even if my future wife doesn’t know how to cook, she is okay with it. As long as she is alive and God wills it for her, mom alone will do the cooking for the entire family, just like she always does. She is also very concerned about taking care of my future wife, whomever she may be. Mom often says, both online and offline, that whoever comes into this house as a bride for me or my younger brother Bornil (26) will be treated like a princess and loved like her own daughter. Because mom understands that a girl leaves her family behind and tries to adapt to a new family. She will do everything possible to make life easier for her,” Swapnil said.

As for Swapnil, he doesn’t have any particular preference or “type” when it comes to girls.

“I would definitely prefer someone who can match my vibe and get along well with my family. Someone with a good sense of fashion and humour is also something I look for in a girl,” he said.

Now, after that entire conversation about food, love and everything else in between, one can’t help but wonder whether we will ever get to taste Arifa Begum ke haath ka khaana - especially the pocket shawarma, one of her viral recipes.

Well, there is a chance, because she said: “I love India, and we have been there multiple times before. I am really looking forward to visiting you guys again once the visa process is more lenient.”

Arifa Begum, we will wait for you.