"Every woman is a multi-tasker, like Maa Durga": Rukmini Maitra on upcoming festive Season

"As a woman, I think it is a very easy job to balance your life, because there's a reason to call a woman a multi-tasker, like Maa Durga," Maitra said.

So the reason we worship Maa Durga is because it is symbolic of what women are able to achieve, and it has been established for centuries now," Maitra added, acknowledging that she has more support in managing her professional commitments than many women typically receive.

On her Puja fashion, Maitra said little has changed since childhood. "As far as I can go back in time, I think the memory of me wearing a saree that my mother buys, on the eighth day of Durga Puja, is irreplaceable."

"Whatever happens, the iconic red and white Bengali traditional saree is, I think, my Puja fashion at all times," she said.

Maitra also spoke about her approach to makeup, saying her preference for a minimal, skin-friendly look traces back to watching her mother and sister. "I personally believe that if your base skin is fine, then everything else that we do will be much easier.

"So I try and take care of my skin. If there is a quick shoot or a quick meeting, for that I have a few handy products," she said, adding that she had come to Kolkata for Puja shopping with makeup "an important part of it."

Among her go-to products, Maitra pointed to a matte lipstick, which she said she sometimes doubles up as a quick blush when short on time between shoots and meetings. She said the products she uses on set are chosen with skin-friendliness in mind, noting her association with Lotus Makeup.

On the broader shift in beauty trends, Maitra said makeup is increasingly about enhancing rather than concealing natural features, pointing to the growing popularity of minimal, "glass skin" looks as part of that shift.