She made her debut in 1953 at the age of 16 with playwright E. K. Ayamu’s Ijju Nalloru Mansanakan Nokku (1953).

Later she went on to work in theatre with popular artists such as K. T. Muhammed, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, Khan Kavil and P. J. Antony.

She has made her big screen entry with 1961 Hindi film Elephant Queen, directed by Rajendra.

In 2002, Ayisha received the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award for Drama.

[citation needed] She won the Kerala State Film Award for the Second Best Actress for her role in Oomakkuyil Padumbol in 2011.