Neil to tie the knot

Actor Neil Nitin Mukesh, is off the singles’ list with a confirmation that he is engaged to Mumbai based designer Priyanka Bhatia.

"I love Priyanka. She’s the best thing to have happened to me,” he said. The couple plans to marry by the end of 2010.

A source close to Neil reveals, “Neil and Priyanka hope to tie the knot next year. He is very possessive about Priyanka, and has kept her identity under wraps so far, to avoid undue attention. However, some people saw that as a sign of him being ashamed at admitting his relationship. That is why he has decided to come out with it. Priyanka even accompanied him to the premiere of Jail but at that time no one knew about her, so she wasn’t photographed.”

Priyanka, a fashion designer by profession, resides in Malabar Hills in Mumbai. She runs two boutiques--one on Peddar Road and another in Bandra. She did her schooling from Walsingham House School in Mumbai’s Malabar Hills.

A friend of the couple says, “Priyanka has a great sense of style. She is quite reserved and does not talk about Neil at all.” Elaborating on the equation the duo shares, our source adds, “Neil often says that he and Priyanka are more like friends and that she is not demanding.”