Richard Attenborough and Satyajit Ray

The Guardian, Friday 29 August 2014 14.07 EDT

Indian movie director Satyajit Ray (1921-92): Richard Attenborough was principal patron of the foundation set up in his memory. Photograph: Dominique Faget/AFP/Getty Images

Everyone says that Richard Attenborough always used the word “darling” because he couldn’t remember names – but there was at least one name he always remembered: Satyajit Ray. Both possessed the creativity and brilliance of the world’s finest filmmakers. Dick always said he was fortunate enough to know and have worked with Ray on The Chess Players. Dick was always proud that he was the first and principal patron of the Satyajit Ray foundation, which was set up in 1993, and he was incredibly generous in supporting it financially and on occasions presenting the annual Ray award to the directors of first feature films that demonstrated the qualities present in Ray’s own work. We feel his loss deeply and, as he would have wished, we will strive to keep Ray’s work alive for filmgoers.
Pamela Cullen
Chair of the Satyajit Ray foundation
www.satyajitray.org.uk