Dr. Shabana Parvez, MD, FACEP, US Bureau Chief of The Desi Buzz and founder of Arlington Integrative Medical Associates (AIMA) and Babies4.us, sat down for an exclusive and insightful conversation with Ayesha Shamim to discuss her extraordinary journey across finance, politics, community leadership, and personal resilience. What follows is a powerful, honest, and inspiring conversation about survival, purpose, and the courage to keep fighting.
Ayesha Shamim is a proud British Muslim of Indian origin, an immigrant to the UK, and a woman who has worn many hats with grace and determination. She is a financial advisor with 25 years of banking and finance experience working with HSBC, Barclays, and Santander. She is a community advocate who runs D Dance Theatre CIC, helping the elderly and those living with long-term illness recover and cope through Bollywood dancing. She is a cancer survivor, a single mother, and most recently, a nominated candidate for the Reform UK party in Leeds.
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Background & Early Life
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Welcome to The Desi Buzz Show. Can you introduce yourself to our audience and share a little about your roots and upbringing in the UK?
Ayesha Shamim: Thank you. I came to the UK 26 years ago. I belonged to a good family in India, and my husband and I sort of ran away from India to start our lives. I am a converted Muslim. I arrived in the UK and joined the banking system. Life took its turn. It was very new for us because we were very well established in our home country, but to just leave everything abruptly and come away was quite an adventure. I had to start from the beginning. Fortunately or unfortunately, I got diagnosed with cancer in 2008 and was given eight months to live. I’ve done 16 years now, so thank God.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Many people know you both as Ayesha Shamim and online as Keertika Das. Is there a story behind these names and identities?
Ayesha Shamim: Yes, it was a bit of a Bollywood story. I was well known as Kirtika Das in India. I had my own PR company in Delhi and was doing quite well. My ex-husband was also doing well, but we were having difficulty getting married because of our families. It was a Hindu-Muslim problem. I got very inspired by a Bollywood film and just decided, you know what, I’ve converted, let me get a new name and go to a new country for a new beginning. That is how I changed my name from Kirtika to Ayesha Shamim. I was very warmly welcomed by the Muslim community in the UK, which was very surprising. Where I settled in Leeds, we have a very big Muslim community, and we all work together—Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Indians.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: You have over 24 years of experience in the financial services industry with institutions like HSBC, Barclays, and Santander UK. What first inspired you to pursue a career in banking and finance?
Ayesha Shamim: When I got cancer, although I worked in a very senior banking post, I did not have any insurances or any protection. That got me thinking about my next role—that if I live, I want to tell the tale and help other immigrants who come to the UK to know about the system better. That is how I started my journey of becoming a financial advisor. Right now, I hold a license as a financial advisor, which I am quite proud of.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Looking back at your professional journey, what are some of the biggest lessons you learned from working in the corporate and banking world?
Ayesha Shamim: One thing I learned is that wherever you are in Rome, do as the Romans do. When I came, I was very focused on my career. Being of Indian origin, we carry the burden of education and are very focused on career. But one of the biggest lessons I learned was that even though I was in a very senior role, when I got ill, I did not know what the laws entailed or what support was available. I suffered because of that. It’s not only about doing well—it is also about knowing how to do well so that if something goes wrong, you are able to protect yourself.
Politics, Leadership & Community Impact
Dr. Shabana Parvez: You recently entered politics as a candidate for Reform UK in the Hunslet & Riverside ward elections. What motivated you to step into public life and politics?
Ayesha Shamim: My son. I brought him up single-handedly, and after my divorce, my ex just decided to have a custody battle. It was sudden. The social services in the UK are quite strong, but without any investigation, they decided on the spur of the moment that what my ex said was right. They took my child away. That shocked me—that being so highly educated, so strong financially, and having knowledge, social services could just come into my house and take my son away. That taught me to be aware of your rights in the country. I felt very let down by the local government and council. That is what led me into the world of politics. I thought, let me start working to help change the system.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Your campaign focused on fair council taxes, anti-social behavior, roads, housing, and adult social care. Which of these issues do you believe needs the most urgent attention today?
Ayesha Shamim: For me, it is adult social care. It took me 11 years to know the system to get any sort of help. Adult social care in the UK needs to be looked into and hurried up. It has become so digital and robotic that it is very hard, especially for elderly people, to access their rights. If we cannot respect and help our elderly, we are not preparing ourselves for our own future. It is bleak.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: As someone with a financial background, how do you think economic policies directly impact ordinary families and local communities?
Ayesha Shamim: Two weeks ago, I attended a meeting done by the Bank of England. They organized a meeting with local people asking them basic questions about what they are experiencing. Everybody had the same thing to say: inflation is so high. Things are so pricey right now. It has gone a bit out of control. Affordability is one of the major challenges faced by the UK right now.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: You have spoken openly about wanting to grow further within Reform UK and possibly aim for Parliamentary or cabinet-level responsibilities in the future. What kind of leader do you hope to become?
Ayesha Shamim: Reform had a project where they sent an email to professionals asking if they would like to stand as an MP or a cabinet minister. I put my name forward for both. As a leader, if I get the opportunity, I want to bring the knowledge of my finance to the table. Politics is a very hard game, but because we have experienced things ourselves and are professionals working in the community, when we become leaders, we bring what we learn to the table. I think I will be a very compassionate leader. I would love to talk to local businesses and empower them.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: You are also deeply involved in community work through your organization, D Dance Theatre CIC. Can you tell us about the mission behind this initiative and the people it serves?
Ayesha Shamim: A CIC is a Community Interest Company—something between a charity and a business. We apply for funding, and my CIC focuses on problems I have faced. When I got cancer and was working, I was told to go to mental health and well-being classes, but they were very far off or not reachable. That is when I decided to launch it in my own village. It was a white village, and launching Bollywood music there was very hard. But we started with five ladies, and it grew to about 70. Now we have two classes going on. We target elderly people because long-term illness affects everyone, and we all have to become older. We also go to care homes and do presentations on Bollywood dancing with health and well-being.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Supporting the elderly and vulnerable requires both compassion and patience. What have these experiences taught you about humanity and leadership?
Ayesha Shamim: A lot. The basic problem the UK faces right now is also about elderly parents. Most people have one or two children, and they are going away from the country, leaving their parents in the care of the system. And the system is not in a very good place right now because of the changes. Things are so volatile. In the local elections, Reform won 1,400 seats out of 2,000. From a non-party, it has got a face now. Everybody is looking at us. Fortunately, I am getting an opportunity to stand again, and this time, instead of one month to prepare, we have seven months for the next election.
Personal Strength & Advocacy
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Your story of surviving breast cancer is incredibly powerful. How did that life-changing experience reshape your perspective on life and purpose?
Ayesha Shamim: It taught me to look at life very differently. It totally changed me at a very young age. It taught me how important it is for a woman to look after herself instead of focusing on the other person, your partner, or your child. If you are not able to look after yourself, you will never be able to look after anybody else. For women, we are a different species—stronger, much braver, but very vulnerable.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: You have also spoken courageously about surviving domestic abuse and difficult custody battles. What message would you like to give to women silently facing similar struggles?
Ayesha Shamim: I am shocked at myself that I could endure an abusive relationship and not acknowledge it for 20 plus years. However strong you are, wherever you are in the world, you might be the Prime Minister—domestic abuse, anybody can be susceptible to it. It is very important to acknowledge that there is a problem. It is important to build ties with your family or find yourself friends and seek help. Just shutting your eyes that it will go away does not work. It does not go away. When I had my son, I realized that it was actually abuse. It was targeted at me. I need to acknowledge it and save myself because nobody is coming to save me.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: You mentioned feeling failed by certain systems during difficult periods in your life. How has that motivated you to advocate for a more compassionate and efficient system for others?
Ayesha Shamim: Because going through this, if I had accepted that I had an abusive marriage before, I would have been part of a different system to be protected. But because I was not accepting it, I did not tick that box. When the child custody happened, it did not fall in the line of “she has been abused, we need to support her” because I had not said that. It took a lot out of me to pick up the phone and call the domestic abuse helpline. Now I know lots of things.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Many people facing adversity lose confidence or hope. What kept you moving forward during your most challenging moments?
Ayesha Shamim: Mostly the scare of always dying anytime. Cancer is still not a treatable disease. Secondary cancer has a chance of coming back, and secondary cancer is not treatable. Nobody talks about it, but we all live in the fear of it. The fear of your life ending very soon pushes you to do something now. It can either motivate you or pull you down. You have to choose to use it as motivation and not be held down. Whatever life you have, however long or short, you want to make it impactful. One day I woke up and my bones cracked and my teeth fell off—six of them—from cancer medication. I took it as a project: getting my teeth back. I just take up challenges one at a time and get through them.
Fun & Personal Side
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Outside politics and professional life, how do you relax and recharge?
Ayesha Shamim: I love to watch Bollywood movies. I am a very social person. I never say no to a cup of tea, as we say in the UK. I am always happy to talk to people. Standing for elections has made me quite well known because we were knocking on doors. We were legally allowed to knock on anybody’s doors because we represented the government for one month. It was quite exciting. I have made lots of friends.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Rapid Fire Round!
- Tea or Coffee? Coffee.
- Bollywood or British Drama? Bollywood, any day.
- Favorite travel destination? Greece.
- One word that defines your personality? Spirited.
- A leader you admire most? Nigel Farage, for now.
- Favorite comfort food? Chicken curry, any day.
Message to the Community
Dr. Shabana Parvez: As a British South Asian woman balancing finance, politics, advocacy, and community leadership, what does representation mean to you?
Ayesha Shamim: As a woman, I think it is very important to say or do what you feel. If you want to make a change, be the change. That is what I believe in. I love challenges. Representation means you have to believe in it. If you want to make a change—small or big—do it. Don’t wait. Just put it into action and go for it.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Finally, what message would you like to share with young women, immigrants, survivors, and aspiring leaders around the world who may look at your journey as inspiration?
Ayesha Shamim: My dad used to say a very simple thing: Where there is a will, there is a way. If you really believe it, you will find a way. If you want to make a change, go for it. You will get it. There is nothing to stop you. And I also believe that you have to have a role model. For me, it is my mother. She has been such a strong person. If I want something, next to God, it is my mom I think about. She gives me a lot of strength to go on.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: What is the secret to your success?
Ayesha Shamim: Happiness. Do something which makes you happy, even if it is eating something you like. Keep any little thing that makes you happy—whether it is a comedy movie, a person who makes you happy, or a pool. Go for it.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Thank you so much for coming on to talk to us, Ayesha. Your journey is truly inspiring.
Ayesha Shamim: Thank you, Dr. Parvez. It was lovely talking to you too.
