Mahesh Babu becomes strategic investor in Mumbai gaming studio Shotgun Games

Mahesh Babu, a superstar of the Indian film industry, has now entered the gaming world. He has formally joined Mumbai-based development studio Shotgun Games as a strategic investor. The partnership seeks to combine the tradition of film storytelling with new interactive technology.

The star and the studio's founders are building a strong creative alliance. Its aim is to create original, franchise-grade intellectual property designed specifically for PC and current console platforms, including the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

At the centre of the effort is the studio's biggest project, Project Takedown, a high-budget, story-driven action-adventure game. It is built to compete directly on the global stage in North America, Europe, the United Kingdom and other international markets.

Digital entertainment in India has so far been focused mostly on mobile platforms. But Shotgun Games co-founders Jeet Chandan and Vidhit Mehta deliberately changed their strategy early on and decided to make games only for PC and consoles. Their goal is to show that an Indian studio can also deliver work that meets the exacting expectations of core gamers worldwide, including high-quality worlds, deep gameplay loops and a cinematic experience.

Mahesh Babu said, "Interactive entertainment is a field where depth of storytelling, cutting-edge technology and global culture come together. India has remarkable creative capability, and the time has come for original characters and cinematic worlds that appeal to audiences across the world to be created from here."

He added, "The ambition of Jeet Chandan and Vidhit Mehta, and their determination to build top-quality PC and console experiences with which they can match the standards of international studios, is what drew me to this company. It is deeply inspiring to back young and visionary creators working with such a clear technical roadmap. I am eager to support our shared goal through Project Takedown."

Vidhit Mehta, co-founder and director of Shotgun Games, said, "We started Shotgun Games with a specific purpose, to prove that India too can make world-class interactive entertainment for PC and modern consoles. Mahesh Babu joining Jeet and me as a strategic investor is a very significant development."

Mehta also said, "His innate understanding of storytelling at scale, building emotional connection and reaching ordinary people lifts our whole approach higher. It is giving us great help as we bring Project Takedown to reality."