Mumbai, 3 November 2026: In a landmark collaboration uniting Indian cinema’s storytelling pedigree with next-generation interactive technology, Indian cinema superstar Mahesh Babu has officially joined Mumbai-based development studio Shortgun Games as a Strategic Investor.

Together, the star and the founding duo are establishing a high-impact creative alliance dedicated to building original, franchise-grade intellectual properties (IPs) designed exclusively for PC and modern console platforms, including PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

At the core of this joint endeavour is the studio’s flagship project, PROJECT TAKEDOWN, a high-budget action adventure, narrative-driven title built to compete directly on the global stage across North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, and international markets.

While digital entertainment in India has historically focused on mobile platforms, co-founders Jeet Chandan and Vidhit Mehta have made a deliberate and early strategic pivot to build exclusively for PC and console ecosystems. Their mission is to demonstrate that an Indian studio can architect high-fidelity worlds, deep gameplay loops, and cinematic experiences that meet the rigorous expectations of core gamers worldwide.

Recognizing the technical ambition and creative integrity of Chandan and Mehta’s roadmap, Superstar Mahesh Babu decided to collaborate with Shortgun Games, “Interactive entertainment is the ultimate frontier where narrative depth, cutting-edge technology, and global culture intersect,” said Superstar Mahesh Babu. “India has extraordinary creative potential, and the time is right to build original characters and cinematic worlds from here that resonate across the globe. What drew me to this company is Jeet Chandan and Vidhit Mehta’s clarity of ambition and their drive to create high-end PC and console experiences that stand shoulder-to-shoulder with international studio benchmarks. Backing young, visionary creators with such a defined technological roadmap is deeply inspiring, and I look forward to supporting our shared vision with PROJECT TAKEDOWN.”

To ensure Project Takedown delivers the visceral combat fluidity expected of modern high-performance titles, Shortgun Games brought on reputed Indian action director Vicky Arora who has worked on URI: The Surgical Strike, RRR, TANAAV to lead the game’s action design.

Arora’s team has overseen motion-capture (mocap) choreography, combat pre-visualization, and physical stunt mechanics. By integrating live stunt engineering directly into the digital character pipeline, Chandan and Mehta’s development team is crafting high-impact combat rarely attempted outside tier-one global publishing houses.

Vidhit Mehta, Co-Founder and Director of Shortgun Games, emphasized the importance of the partnership, “We founded Shortgun Games with a singular focus- to prove that India can engineer world-class interactive entertainment for PC and modern consoles. Having Mahesh Babu sir come on board alongside Jeet and me as a strategic investor is an extraordinary milestone. His intuitive understanding of large-scale storytelling, emotional connection, and mass resonance elevates our entire vision as we bring PROJECT TAKEDOWN to life.”

Jeet Chandan, Co-Founder and Director of Shortgun Games, added, “Our goal has always been to build durable, cross-media franchises that transcend regional boundaries. Mahesh Babu sir’s trust in our roadmap provides a massive vote of confidence for our entire team. His strategic involvement empowers us to scale our technical capabilities, expand our creative talent, and execute at uncompromising quality standards.”

With Superstar Mahesh Babu, Jeet Chandan, and Vidhit Mehta aligned at the helm, Shortgun Games is positioned at the vanguard of a new era in Indian media, transforming domestic storytelling into premium, console-grade universes tailored for a global audience.