Who are these ‘Power/Rangers’ guys?

“And I got into trouble,” he added. “Because the parents were like, ‘This guy, he’s ruining our children!’ “

That was more than 20 years ago for Shankar. But the producer, now 30, got his wish when his dark version of the “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,” directed by friend Joseph Kahn, made it online — and proceeded to rack up more than 11 million views on YouTube in less than two days.

Fans buzzing over bloody ‘Power/Rangers’ ‘bootleg’

In some ways, Shankar is still getting into trouble. Not only did the video explode the Power Rangers mythology, showing the impact of serving as “child soldiers,” in Shankar’s phrase, but the video became a legal football after the owner of the franchise, Saban Entertainment, claimed infringement.

First it was taken down from Vimeo and then YouTube. However, it was reposted in both places late Friday after lawyers reached agreement, Deadline reported.

It’s not about dollars and cents, he added: “Is that what we’re about? We’re one massive consumerist mosh pit?”

In the meantime, he’s got plenty of other projects cooking, including a crime thriller set in a world of both puppets and humans that’s like “a really dark, violent ‘Muppet Movie.’ “

It all comes down to the same impulse that drove him to tell stories when he was 7, he says.

“I’m just a creative dude,” he said.

CNN