Telugu film star Mahesh Babu has joined Mumbai-based Shortgun Games as a strategic investor. The studio, founded by Jeet Chandan and Vidhit Mehta, is focused on original games for PC and consoles rather than mobile. The investment amount was not disclosed.
Shortgun’s first major project is Project Takedown, a big-budget, story-driven action-adventure game planned for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The studio says it is designed to compete with international releases. Its wider slate also includes Roll ’em Out, a cooperative indie game.
The founders say they set out to build detailed worlds, layered gameplay and cinematic experiences for core players. Chandan has described the studio’s longer-term goal as creating franchises that can reach audiences beyond regional borders and extend across media.
For Project Takedown’s combat, Shortgun brought in action director Vicky Arora, whose credits include Uri: The Surgical Strike, RRR and Tanaav. His team has worked on motion-capture choreography, combat previsualization and physical stunts, with live performances feeding into the game’s digital-character production process.
Babu said he was drawn to the founders’ ambition to create high-end PC and console games capable of matching international studio standards. Mehta said the investment would support the studio’s technical capabilities, creative team and work on Project Takedown.
Sources: Variety.