Telugu cinema superstar Mahesh Babu has signed on as a strategic investor in Mumbai-based Shortgun Games, backing a studio that is creating original titles for PC and consoles rather than mobile, which has long focused on India’s digital entertainment sector.
The studio, founded by Jeet Chandan and Vidhit Mehta, is developing original, franchise-scale IP for PC as well as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. First up is “Project Takedown”, a big-budget, story-driven action-adventure game designed for international release in North America, Europe, the UK, and beyond. The size of the investment was not disclosed.
Chandan and Mehta soon decided to give up mobile phones completely. Their bet is that an Indian team can deliver the detailed worlds, layered gameplay and cinematic scale that core players expect from top-tier releases.
Mahesh Babu, who leads SS Rajamouli’s upcoming film “Varanasi”, said, “Interactive entertainment is the final frontier where narrative depth, cutting-edge technology and global culture intersect.” “India has extraordinary creative potential, and the time is right to create original characters and cinematic worlds from here that resonate around the world. The clarity of ambition of Jeet Chandan and Vidit Mehta and their desire to create high-end PC and console experiences that stand shoulder to shoulder with international studio benchmarks is what attracted me to this company.”
To handle the game’s fight sequences, Shortgun brought in action director Vicky Arora, whose credits include “Uri: The Surgical Strike,” “RRR” and “Tension.” Arora’s team worked on motion-capture choreography, combat previsualization, and physical stunt work. Those live stunt performances are fed directly into the pipeline that developers use to create the game’s digital characters. The studio says the result is the kind of grueling competition rarely attempted outside the top tier of global publishers.
Mehta, who worked with Chandan as the studio’s director, said, “We founded Shortgun Games with a specific focus – to prove that India can create world-class interactive entertainment for PC and modern consoles.” “Having Mahesh Babu sir on board as a strategic investor and with me is an extraordinary milestone. His innate understanding of massive storytelling, emotional connection and mass resonance elevates our entire vision as we bring ‘Project Takedown’ to life.”
Chandan said the studio’s goal has always been to create enduring franchises that work across media and travel beyond regional boundaries. He said, “Mahesh Babu sir’s confidence in our roadmap is a huge vote of confidence for our entire team.” “Their strategic partnership enables us to enhance our technical capabilities, expand our creative talent and execute at uncompromising quality standards.”
Beyond “Project Takedown”, Shortgun’s slate includes “Roll ‘Em Out”, a co-operative indie game.