'Making people laugh has given us a purpose'

AWolverhampton mother and her 11-year-old daughter have become internet sensations after amassing millions of views across Instagram and TikTok with videos of their morning routines, dances and song parodies.

"We turned [our] pain into purpose because, behind everything, there's been a lot of struggle," said Amn, who together with daughter, Ria, have been making social media videos to bring a smile to their community.

The duo started making content as a way of helping their family cope with the sudden death of Amn's father in 2023, and also to provide a platform to help break down stigmas within the South Asian community.

"It [also] comes from a place of a lot of pain, being a young mum, giving birth to a daughter when the expectations around you were those of a son," Amn told BBC Radio WM.

Amn added: "I was 22 when I had Ria and, all these years on, I've taught her, 'Girl, no matter what knocks you down, we just get back up and we get better and better and better.'

"You get overwhelmed because there's so much pressure for you to do so well, especially in the South Asian community. The pressure is intense."

The Wolverhampton mother spoke candidly of her struggles after losing her father, and the impact this had on her relationship with her daughter and husband, Jag.

Looking back, she added: "There was a time when I went through a little bit of a blip, where I felt I wasn't being the best mum.

"I did my best for her, but she was small at the time and she'd see me get knocked down and she'd be like my sister and she'd pick me up. She'd be like, 'Mum, it's okay, we'll be all right'.

"When dad passed away, I wasn't the best mother or wife to these two, and my mum, sisters and brothers saw it happening.

"Jag picked everything up and Ria was like, 'Mum, it's okay. I've got you'.

"I feel like I owe it to her now."

Both parents are musicians. Amn is a singer and Jag plays the tabla drums, so they draw on their backgrounds to help create uplifting videos.

Their first clip to go viral amassed more than one million views and showed them reworking Disney's Frozen hit, Do You Want to Build a Snowman? with new lyrics to become Do You Want to Build Your Son's Wife?

Amn said: "We started receiving messages from people saying, 'You're helping me', and 'You're showing me how to be a better mum to my daughter', because initially it is about showing her the sky is the limit.

"We make songs and I make songs with lyrics that people can sing to their kids and their grandkids, because through music you can love.

"I think the biggest thing through social media is the connections. I've made friendships. I've made friends who have moved from London to the West Midlands. I've missed having that circle, but I'm now meeting so many lovely people.

"You're coming across so many like-minded people who are helping us build connections, and it's taking us places."

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