Guwahati, June 25: Guess who’s coming to tea?

Julie Christie, one of Hollywood’s most enduring actresses and an Oscar winner, will be part of the India International Tea Festival to be held in Assam this November.

Christie, incidentally, has an Assam connection. She was born in a tea garden at Chabua in Upper Assam, where her father was a planter during the British rule.

Union minister of state for commerce Jairam Ramesh made the announcement today saying the Hollywood celebrity has “confirmed” her participation at the three-day event. “The Dubai tea festival has managed to lure many big buyers from India. So we need a brand ambassador who is a recognised face worldwide. Julie Christie who has strong links with both Assam and tea simply fits the bill,” he said.

Christie, who now leads a life of a recluse, is most famous for her role in Dr Zivago. She won an Oscar for best actress in the film Darling in 1965. The festival will be the first of its kind to be held in this part of the world.

Ramesh said bringing in international celebrities to attend the tea festival would help India turn into a tea hub in the internal market. “I fail to understand how Dubai has turned into the hub of tea when India is the highest producer in the world. We have to replace Dubai on the global tea map,” he said.

The minister said a look into the history of the country’s tea industry reveals that Christie is not the only Hollywood connection. In fact, Vivien Leigh, who played Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind, was born on a tea estate in Darjeeling.

Tea Board chairman Basudev Banerjee said major buyers from around the world would attend the three-day festival beginning November 22 at the Indian Trade Centre here. A satellite event would also be held simultaneously in the Upper Assam tea town of Jorhat.

Over 400 delegates from Pakistan, the UK, Russia, Egypt, Iran, Kenya and Sri Lanka are expected to participate in the festival. Banerjee said while the marketing aspect would be discussed at Guwahati, the technical session would be held at Jorhat where the world’s oldest tea research station is located.

The deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, said quality production and aggressive marketing is the need of the hour to make sure that Assam tea is still the staple beverage on English and Scottish breakfast tables.

The India International Tea Festival would be another milestone for Assam since the newly constructed International Trade Centre, where the festival would be held, will be named Moniram Dewan Trade Centre. Dewan was hanged by the British for taking part in the freedom struggle.

Banerjee said efforts are on to get a geographical indication, that is, a sort of label used in products to show the area where it is found, for the Assam orthodox tea before the festival. “Getting that label would help market the product better,” he said.