Eight screens of movie magic, big brands led by Marks & Spencer, cuisine from around the world. Eat, shop and celebrate in the heart of town?

After the mega success of Pantaloons and Big Bazaar in Calcutta, Kishore Biyani, managing director, Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd, is gearing up to unveil Central, the ?seamless, showcased mall?.

April 2007 is when Calcutta should have its ?own version of Selfridges?, with an abundance of eating, shopping and entertainment options under one roof. The 280,000-sq-ft property follows in the footsteps of Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune. The location is being kept under wraps but the market buzz points to a prime plot south of the city centre.

?Calcutta is very special to us and it should have had its Central way back. But we waited since we wanted prime space in a favourable location and we are a week away from sealing the deal,? Biyani told Metro from Mumbai.

The shopping basket will include the largest collection of international and national brands under a single roof, with a flexible, customer-friendly format. ?The difference between Central and a classical departmental store is that there are no walls separating the shops,? said Sanjeev Agrawal, head, marketing.

And in Calcutta, a seven or eight-screen cineplex will be thrown in to go with the retail and food platter, added Biyani.

Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd is also planning to set up a clutch of family entertainment centres in town through Mumbai-based Galaxy, in which the group has a stake. ?We are looking at three such peppy pads, which would offer a composite package of entertainment for every member of the family outside shopping and movies,? said Biyani.

These centres ? the first is expected to be up and running by this year-end ? would have a basket of gaming options, including video games arcades, bumping cars, computer games, redemption games, bowling and pool as the prime attractions. There will also be food courts, sports bars and fine dining spots, like Rain in Mumbai.